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VOL.)  NO.  12  AUGUST  1943 

INTELLIGENCE 

BULLETIN 


WAR  DEPARTMENT  WASHINGTON  D.  C 


Military  Intelligence  Service  Intelligence  Bulletin 

War  Department  No.  12 

Washington,  August  1943  MIS  461 


NOTICE 

The  Intelligence  Bulletin  is  designed  primarily  for  the  use  of 
junior  officers  and  enlisted  men.  It  is  a vehicle  for  the  dissemi- 
nation to  them  of  the  latest  information  received  from  Military 
Intelligence  sources.  In  order  to  secure  the  widest  possible  use 
of  this  bulletin,  its  contents  are  not  highly  classified.  It  is  for 
the  exclusive  use  of  military  personnel,  however,  and  no  part  of  it 
may  be  published  without  the  consent  of  the  Military  Intelli- 
gence Service,  except  in  the  case  of  task  forces,  divisions,  and 
higher  echelons.  Commanders  of  these  organizations  are  auth- 
orized to  reproduce  any  item  in  the  bulletin,  provided  they 
maintain  the  classification  of  the  information  and  give  its  source. 


It  is  recommended  that  the  contents  of  this  bulletin  be  utilized 
whenever  practicable  as  a basis  for  informal  talks  and  discus- 
sions with  troops. 


Readers  are  invited  to  comment  on  the  use  that  they  are  mak- 
ing of  the  Intelligence  Bulletin  and  to  forward  suggestions  for 
future  issues.  Such  correspondence  may  be  addressed  directly  to 
the  Dissemination  Unit,  Military  Intelligence  Service,  War 
Department,  Washington,  D.  C.  Requests  for  additional  copies 
should  be  forwarded  through  channels  for  approval. 

i 

538861“— 43 1 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

Part  One:  Germany 


Page 

Section  I.  U.  S.  Wounded  Discuss  Axis  Mines  and  Booby  Traps..  1 

1.  Introduction 1 

2.  Comments  by  U.  S.  Wounded 1 

II.  Tellermines,  “S”  Mines,  and  Notes  on  Their  Use 7 

1.  Tellermines  (Four  Types) 7 

a.  Teller-mine  No.  1 7 

b.  Tellermine  No.  9 

c.  Tellermine  No.  S 10 

d.  Tellermine  No.  4 11 

e.  Comparison _ 13 

2.  "S”  Mine 13 

a.  To  Arm 13 

b.  To  Neutralize 15 

3.  Notes  on  Tactical  Use  of  Mines 15 

III.  Tank  Hunting . 19 

1.  Combat  Principles 19 

2.  Tank-Hunting  Weapons  and  Their  Use 23 

a.  Blinding  Agents 24 

b.  Incendiary  Agents 24 

c.  Explosives 26 

d.  Crowbars  and  Hatchets 31 

3.  Assault  Decoration 32 

IV.  Engineer  Assault  Tactics . 33 

1.  Introduction 33 

2.  Attacks  on  Pillboxes 33 

a.  Composition  of  Detachment _ 33 

b.  Assault  Tactics 34 

3.  Attacks  on  Trenches 36 

V.  Miscellaneous 38 

1.  Instructions  in  Case  of  Capture 38 

2.  Prisoners’  Ruse 40 

3.  Use  of  Roving  Guns 40 

m 


IV 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Part  Two:  Italy 

Page 

Section  I.  B2,  S.  C.  G.  At  Mine  and  B4  Antipersonnel  Mine 42 

1.  B2,  S.  C.  G.  Antitank  Mine 42 

a.  Characteristics 42 

b.  To  Neutralize 42 

2.  B4  Antipersonnel  Mine 44 

a.  Characteristics 44 

b.  To  Neutralize 44 

II.  Notes  on  Attack 46 

1.  Introduction 46 

2.  The  Notes 46 

a.  During  Attack 47 

b.  When  Objective  Has  Been  Gained 47 

c.  During  Rest  Periods 47 

Part  Three:  Japan 

Section  I.  American  Wounded  Tell  About  Japanese  on  Attu 48 

1.  Introduction 48 

2.  The  Interviews 48 

II.  Notes  on  How  Japanese  Attack  Pillboxes 54 

1.  Introduction 54 

2.  Organization,  and  Attack  Duties 55 

3.  Weapons  and  Equipment 55 

a.  Assault  Han 56 

b.  Assisting  Fire-power  Detachment 56 

c.  Mopping-up  han 56 

4.  Methods  of  Attack 57 

a.  Assisting  Fire-power  Detachment 57 

b.  Assault  Han 57 

c.  Mopping-up  Han 58 

d.  Machine-Gun  or  Engineer  Detachment 58 

e.  Night  Attacks 59 

f.  Assistance  by  Other  Troops 59 

5.  Destruction  by  Bombardment 60 

III.  Defense  Techniques 61 

1.  Positions 61 

2.  Weapons 62 

3.  Tactics  in  Combat 63 

IV.  Notes  on  Japanese  Security  Measures 65 

1.  Introduction 65 

2.  General  Supervision 65 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


V 


Page 

3.  Precautions 67 

a.  In  Handling  Classified  Matter 67 

b.  Regarding  Military  Personnel 67 

c.  Regarding  Inspections  and  Censorship 68 

d.  In  Dealing  with  Civilians 69 

e.  Regarding  Foreigners 70 

4.  Examples  of  Violations 70 

Part  Four:  United  Nations 

Section  I.  How  the  British  Deal  With  Road  Craters,  Obstacles  72 

1.  Introduction 72 

2.  Craters 72 

a.  Dry  Craters 72 

b.  Wet  Craters 74 

3.  Other  Road  Obstacles 74 

II.  British  Junior  Officer  Tells  Combat  Experiences.  _ 75 

1.  Introduction 75 

2.  “Tips  from  the  Front” 75 

III.  Description  of  British  Antipersonnel  Switch 80 

1.  Introduction 80 

2.  Description 80 

3.  Operation 80 

4.  Assembly  and  Testing 82 

5.  Concealment 82 

Index  for  Vol.  I,  Nob.  1-12 83 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Figure  1.  Tellermine  (German  antitank)  No.  1 8 

Figure  2.  Tellermine  No.  1 (cross  section) 8 

Figure  3.  Tellermine  No.  2 10 

Figure  4.  Tellermine  No.  3 II 

Figure  5.  Tellermine  No.  4 — 12 

Figure  6.  “S”  (German  antipersonnel)  Mine 14 

Figures  7-15.  Sketches  Illustrating  German  Tank-hunting  Tactics 

and  Weapons 22,  26,  28,  29,  30,  31 

Figure  16.  German  Assault  Decoration 32 

Figure  17.  B2,  S.  C.  G.  (Italian  antitank)  Mine 43 

Figure  18.  B4  (Italian  antipersonnel)  Mine 45 

Figure  19.  Switch  (British  antipersonnel) 81 


Part  One  : Germany 

Section  I.  U.  S.  WOUNDED  DISCUSS  AXIS 
MINES  AND  BOOBY  TRAPS 


1.  INTRODUCTION 

A number  of  U.  S.  soldiers,  who  were  wounded  by 
Axis  land  mines  and  booby  traps  during  the  Tunisian 
campaign,  have  made  interesting  and  useful  comments 
based  on  their  experiences  with  such  devices.  The 
following  extracts  from  their  remarks  should  be  re- 
garded as  supplementary  to  three  articles  which  have 
appeared  in  previous  issues  of  this  publication:  “Booby 
Traps”  ( Intelligence  Bulletin  No.  1),  “Minefields  in 
Desert  Terrain”  ( Intelligence  Bulletin  No.  5),  and 
“Recent  Trends  in  the  Use  of  Mines  and  Booby  Traps” 
(. Intelligence  Bulletin  No.  10). 

2.  COMMENTS  BY  U.  S.  WOUNDED 

We  had  laid  a good  many  British  Mark  V mines  in  the  ap- 
proach to  Faid  Pass.  The  Germans,  realizing  that  we  were  about 
to  lift  our  own  minefield,  sneaked  up  at  night  and  booby-trapped 
the  mines  on  the  edges  nearest  them  with  antilifting  devices. 

When  the  Germans  lay  their  “bouncing  babies”  [“S”  mines]  1 
in  shell  holes  and  craters,  they  generally  set  the  mines  for  pressure. 

1 Several  of  the  most  widely  used  types  of  enemy  mines,  including  the  “S” 
mine,  are  described  and  illustrated  in  this  issue.  See  pp.  S-19,  29-31,  and 
43-46. 


1 


2 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


What  the  enemy  hopes  is  that  our  boys  will  hastily  jump  into 
the  holes  to  take  cover,  without  even  suspecting  the  presence  of 
mines.  It  doesn’t  take  our  men  very  long  to  learn  that  the 
enemy  is  always  trying  to  outguess  us,  that  he’s  smart,  and  that 
caution  pays. 

I’d  like  to  say  something  about  “double  bluffs,”  as  we  call  them. 
You  see  something  which  looks  like  a trip  wire,  and  which  would 
ordinarily  lead  to  a pull-igniter.  The  wire  is  taut.  Also,  it’s  out 
in  full  view — suspiciously  so.  If  you  cut  the  wire,  a hammer  sets 
off  a charge  of  some  kind — perhaps  not  a mine  at  all.  It’s  just 
another  instance  of  the  enemy  trying  to  outguess  us. 

You’ve  probably  heard  about  the  German  “butterfly  bombs.”2 
A shallow  foxhole  usually  affords  sufficient  protection  against 
butterfly  bombs,  but  who  digs  a shallow  foxhole  any  more  when 
he  has  time  to  dig  a deep  one  ? That’s  one  thing  I’ve  certainly 
learned — to  dig  deeper  and  feel  safer. 

An  important  point  to  remember  about  enemy  methods  is  that 
they  aren’t  cut-and-dried.  You  can’t  depend  on  the  Axis  always 
doing  the  same  thing,  day  in  and  day  out.  The  enemy  goes  in 
for  variety  to  catch  us  off  our  guard. 

1 can  certify  that  going  blindly  up  a gully  which  may  be  the 
wrong  one  is  a damn  fool  stunt!  The  reason  I lost  a leg  is 
simply  this : I didn’t  pick  out  landmarks  carefully  enough  in  the 
daytime,  and  when  I was  retracing  some  ground  in  a jeep  at 
night,  I deviated  just  a little  from  a route  I’d  gone  over  only 
once  before.  I was  heading  for  a certain  gully.  Instead  of  being 
absolutely  sure  that  I was  entering  the  right  one,  I took  a 
chance  and  entered  what  I vaguely  guessed  was  the  right  gully. 

2 Butterfly  bombs  are  dropped  in  a container  which  holds  23  bombs  and 
which  is  fuzed  to  open  after  falling  a predetermined  distance  from  a plane. 
Each  butterfly  bomb,  in  turn,  is  fitted  with  one  of  three  types  of  fuzes:  (1) 
A fuze  designed  to  operate  while  the  bomb  is  still  in  the  air,  or  on  impact ; 
(2)  a clockwork  fuze  which  can  be  set  to  function  at  any  time  up  to  30 
minutes  after  the  bomb  becomes  armed;  (3)  a highly  sensitive  antihandling 
(booby  trap)  fuze  which  becomes  armed  on  impact,  but  does  not  detonate 
until  subsequently  disturbed. 


GERMANY — U.  S.  WOUNDED  DISCUSS  AXIS  MINES  3 

A Tellermine  got  the  jeep,  and  it  got  me,  too.  What  I should 
have  done  was  to  go  back  a bit  and  get  my  bearings. 

If  I were  to  go  through  the  North  African  campaign  again,  I’d 
train  myself  better  in  using  my  eyes  at  night,2  and  I’d  form  the 
habit  of  noting  landmarks  more  carefully  during  the  daytime. 
Even  though  a lot  of  terrain  features  are  lost  at  night,  there’s 
always  a good  chance  that  a remembered  landmark  will  remind 
you  of  the  position  of  another,  in  relation  to  it. 

If  you  see  a sign  saying  Aektung!  Minen!  or  “Attention! 
Mines !”,  that’s  one  time  when  you  want  to  believe  in  signs ! We 
learned  not  to  play  the  smart-aleck  game  of  firing  or  throwing 
stones  at  objects  in  an  area  where  there  was  a warning  sign. 
This  kind  of  tomfoolery  sometimes  disturbed  delicate  mines  and 
booby  trap  mechanisms  so  that  they  were  harder  to  detect  and 
neutralize  later.  Also,  there  was  an  ever-present  danger  of 
“sympathetic  detonation,”  whereby  one  explosion  would  cause 
another — and  of  course  you  couldn’t  predict  where. 

I lost  my  right  hand  by  picking  up  a German  “egg”  grenade 
that  I saw  lying  on  the  ground,  with  its  pin  apparently  in. 
Feeling  confident  that  it  was  safe,  I went  right  ahead  and  picked 
it  up.  It  hadn’t  occurred  to  me  that  fine  piano  wire  might  lead 
from  the  other  end  of  the  grenade  to  a stake  sunk  into  the 
ground  directly  underneath. 

Something  even  worse  happened  to  a British  squad  leader  I 
knew  over  in  Tunisia.  The  squad  came  across  a nice  German 
Luger  [semiautomatic  pistol]  lying  on  the  ground,  just  waiting  to 
be  picked  up.  The  squad  leader  was  wary.  He  said,  “It’s  prob- 
ably booby-trapped.  I want  all  you  men  to  stand  aside  and 
watch  carefully  while  I show  you  a safe  way  of  testing  it.”  He 
tied  a cord  to  the  trigger  guard,  and  carried  the  other  end  of 
the  string  over  to  a foxhole,  which  was  about  15  or  20  feet 
away.  “Now  here’s  what  I’m  going  to  do”,  he  said.  “I’ll  crouch 

8 The  reader  Is  referred  to  “How  to  Use  Your  Eyes  at  Night,”  Intelligence 
Bulletin  No.  6,  p.  66. 

538861“ — 43— ; 2 


4 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


in  the  foxhole,  and  draw  the  cord  so  that  the  Luger  will  move 
and  detonate  any  pull-igniter  which  may  be  attached  to  it,” 

The  squad  leader  jumped  into  the  foxhole,  and  instantly  there 
was  an  explosion.  The  Germans,  anticipating  just  what  his  line 
of  reasoning  would  be,  had  mined  the  foxhole  with  a couple  of 
“bouncing  babies”  set  for  pressure  and,  incidently,  hadn’t  even 
bothered  to  booby-trap  the  Luger  at  all. 

I’d  like  to  say  something  very  frankly  to  fellows  who  haven’t 
yet  had  experience  in  fighting  the  Germans.  Everybody  in  my 
outfit  will  back  me  up  in  this,  too.  Remember  that  the  enemy 
is  just  as  smart  as  you  are,  and  possibly  smarter.  Don’t  be  care- 
less— this  is  just  what  the  Germans  hope  you  will  be.  And 
don’t  form  the  habit  of  showing  off,  either.  Cockiness  can  be 
the  curse  of  green  troops. 

When  the  Germans  abandon  a gun  position,  they  are  likely 
not  to  lift  the  mines  surrounding  it.  Instead,  the  enemy  leaves 
them  there  for  us  to  stumble  onto,  later  on. 

The  Germans  think  ahead.  They  try  to  anticipate  what  we’ll 
do  under  every  circumstance.  If  our  fellows  take  this  fact  into 
account  every  minute,  and  move  as  surely  and  as  carefully  as 
Indians,  they  aren’t  going  to  be  caught  unaware. 

It’s  true  about  Tellermines  being  laid  in  the  shoulders  of 
roads,  especially  where  vehicles  are  likely  to  swerve  out  some- 
what, as  on  turns.  I was  the  guard  in  a jeep  that  got  blown  up 
that  way.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  I lost  my  right  leg  and 
my  left  foot.  I’d  been  over  the  road  once  before,  but  it  tvas 
the  driver’s  first  time.  There’s  a possibility  that  the  mine  had 
been  laid  at  night  by  a German  slipping  back  into  our  territory, 
but  of  course  it  may  have  been  there  all  the  time.  We  went  over 
on  the  shoulder  as  we  rounded  a curve,  going  a little  too  fast. 

Our  M3  tanks  were  advancing  across  a plain,  and  were  en- 
gaged in  hot  and  heavy  action.  A Tellermine  got  the  left  track 
of  my  tank.  None  of  us  realized  that  the  track  had  been 


GERMANY — U.  S.  WOUNDED  DISCUSS  AXIS  MINES 


5 


smashed;  we  didn’t  notice  this  particular  explosion,  and  we 
weren’t  thrown  against  the  sides  of  the  tank  or  anything  like 
that.  We  were  in  the  heat  of  battle,  and  were  firing  continu 
ously.  I tried  to  back  off  to  execute  a maneuver,  and  only 
then  did  I realize  that  the  track  was  broken  and  off.  At  this 
point  we  were  hit  by  an  88  and  were  set  on  fire.  I gave  the 
order  to  abandon  the  tank.  The  driver  was  wounded  as  he  was 
climbing  out. 

A couple  of  minutes  later  I was  lying  on  my  belly,  keeping  as 
well  down  as  possible  and  trying  to  dress  the  driver’s  wound. 
He  was  lying  on  his  back.  There  was  a hell  of  a lot  of  action 
going  on.  More  than  ever.  I happened  to  move  my  leg  just  a 
little,  and  it  may  have  caught  a wire  which  detonated  an  anti- 
personnel mine.  I hadn’t  noticed  any  wire,  because  I’d  been  so 
busy  trying  to  dress  the  driver’s  wound  and  meanwhile  avoid  all 
the  fire  which  was  going  on  overhead.  Maybe  the  pressure  of 
my  foot  or  leg  would  have  been  enough  to  detonate  a pressure- 
type  igniter — even  while  I was  lying  prone.  I’m  not  sure  about 
this. 

[Note. — It  is  entirely  possible.  The  soldier  in  question  is  heavy-set,  and, 
when  he  shifted  his  leg,  he  may  have  brought  it  down  on  the  igniter  with 
considerable  force.] 

The  terrain  was  characterized  by  sandy  stretches  and  grass 
clumps.  Even  though  I was  in  a mighty  hot  spot,  I wish  now 
that  I’d  investigated  the  ground  in  that  immediate  neighborhood 
for  trip  wires,  or  for  those  little  three-pronged  igniters  that 
stick  up  just  above  the  ground,  or  for  suspicious  signs  of  any 
kind.  When  I realized  that  a Tellermine  had  got  our  tank 
track,  I should  have  had  sense  enough  to  suspect  the  presence  of 
antipersonnel  mines,  too.  The  Germans  very  often  lay  “S’s” 
and  other  antipersonnel  types  near  their  “T’s.” 

I don’t  want  to  sound  at  all  boastful,  but  up  until  this  time  I 
hadn’t  felt  nervous,  and  honestly  I still  didn’t.  Perhaps  it  was 
because  so  much  hell  was  popping  that  no  one  thing  had  a de- 
moralizing effect.  Anyway,  when  the  mine  got  my  foot — it  put 


6 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


a good  many  fragments  here  and  there  in  both  legs,  too — I had 
to  leave  the  driver  and  start  crawling  back  across  the  plain.  I 
crawled  back  more  than  a mile.  I kept  looking  for  buried 
mines,  too,  believe  me ! Eventually  I was  discovered  by  a British 
tank. 

The  Germans  use  mines  so  liberally,  especially  when  they’re 
on  the  defensive,  that  you’ve  got  to  suspect  every  inch  of  terrain. 
I’m  not  trying  to  make  a high-sounding  statement  for  effect, 
I’m  speaking  literally ! 


The  Germans  mine  natural  tank  runs.  During  a withdrawal 
they  are  especially  likely  to  lay  Tellermines  in  positions  that 
afford  good  defilade  for  tanks. 


By  and  large,  you  won’t  find  booby  traps  in  places  that  are 
inaccessible.  If  you  make  your  own  trail,  you’re  likely  to  be  a 
lot  safer. 

We  soon  learned  to  leave  suspicuous-looking  objects  alone  and 
notify  the  engineers.  Once  my  platoon  worked  for  the  better  part 
of  a day  in  a little  clearing,  paying  absolutely  no  attention  to  a 
beautiful  silver  watch  that  lay  on  the  ground  right  smack  in  the 
middle  of  it.  When  we  finally  left  the  clearing,  the  engineers 
still  hadn’t  come  up.  Even  so,  we  left  the  watch  lying  there. 
Don’t  think  we  didn’t  arrive  at  this  state  of  discipline  through 
experience,  though ! 

In  paths  and  defiles  the  Germans  used  a number  of  antiper- 
sonnel switches  that  they  had  captured  from  the  British.  An 
antipersonnel  switch  is  a pressure-release  device,  shaped  like  a 
pencil.4  It  usually  is  sunk  in  a path  or  narrow  defile  and  its  94- 
inch  tip  concealed  with  mud,  dirt,  or  leaves.  It  projects  a bullet 
upwards.  Our  nickname  for  these  switches  is  “castrators” — but 
most  of  the  time  what  they  really  do  is  go  up  through  your  foot, 
or  through  the  tire  of  a vehicle. 

4 For  furtlier  details  about  the  British  antipersonnel  switch,  with  a sketch, 
see  pp.  80-82. 


Section  II.  TELLERMINES,  “S"  MINES, 
AND  NOTES  ON  THEIR  USE 


1.  TELLERMINES  (FOUR  TYPES) 

The  German  Tellermine 1 is  widely  used  against 
tanks  and  other  vehicles.  References  to  the  tactical  em- 
ployment of  this  weapon  have  appeared  frequently  in 
the  Intelligence  Bulletin  (see  index,  p.  83).  To 
date,  four  different  versions  of  the  mine  have  been 
encountered. 

a.  Tellermine  No.  1 (see  tigs.  1 and  2) 

This  circular  mine,  which  contains  11  pounds  of 
TNT,  is  about  1 foot  in  diameter.  It  has  a slightly 
dome-shaped  lid,  from  the  center  of  which  the  top  of 
the  striker  mechanism  projects.  The  mine  is  detonated 
by  a weight  of  about  300  pounds.  As  secondary  firing 
devices,  for  booby  trapping,  pull  igniters  may  be 
screwed  into  the  sockets  in  the  side  (opposite  the 
handle)  and  bottom  of  the  base. 

(1)  To  Arm. — Turn  the  screw  on  top  of  the  igniter 
so  that  the  white  dot  on  it  is  moved  opposite  the  white 

1 Teller  is  the  German  word  for  “plate,”  and  is  intended  to  suggest  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  mine.  To  many  Americans,  however,  the  weapon  looks 
more  like  the  lid  of  an  old-fashioned  ice  cream  freezer. 


7 


8 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


mark  ( Sicker — safe)  to  the  red  mark  ( Scharf — 
danger).  After  burying  the  mine  or  concealing  it 
with  appropriate  camouflage,  withdraw  the  safety  pin 
by  means  of  the  wire  attached  to  it. 


Figure  1. — Tellermine  (German  antitank)  No.  1. 


(2)  To  Neutralize. 

(a)  With  finger  and  thumb,  gently  try  to  push  the 
safety  bolt  all  the  way  in.  If  the  bolt  will  not  go  in 
easily,  leave  it  alone. 


(b)  Turn  the  screw  on  the  igniter  so  that  the  red 
dot  is  opposite  the  white  mark  ( Sicker ).  If  it  will 
not  turn  easily,  leave  it  alone. 


GERMANY TELLERMINES,  “S''  MINES 


9 


(e)  Since  the  mine  may  be  booby-trapped,  do  not 
attempt  to  lift  it  by  hand  until  you  have  neutralized 
the  side  and  bottom  igniters  (if  they  are  present). 
Carefully  find  the  handle  of  the  mine,  and  then 
neutralize  the  igniter  on  the  opposite  side.  Find  the 
bottom  igniter,  which  is  about  halfway  between  the 
handle  and  the  center,  and  neutralize  it. 

(3)  Comments. 

(a)  If  the  mine  has  been  fought  over  or  subjected 
to  blast,  or  if  the  safety  bolt  or  screw  on  the  igniter 
offers  resistance,  unscrew  the  igniter  from  the  mine. 
Push  home  the  safety  bolt,  turn  the  safety  screw  to 
Sicker,  and  replace  the  igniter  in  the  mine.  If  the 
safety  bolt  will  not  go  in,  or  if  the  screw  will  not  turn, 
the  igniter  is  unsafe  and  must  not  be  put  back  in  the 
mine. 

(b)  If  the  risk  of  detonation  can  be  accepted,  the 
precautions  outlined  in  (c),  above,  may  be  omitted, 
and  the  mine  may  be  pulled  clear  of  its  position  by 
means  of  a 50-yard  length  of  signal  cable  tied  to  the 
handle. 

b.  Tellermine  No.  2 (see  fig.  3) 

This  mine,  which  is  similar  to  Tellermine  No.  1, 
is  circular  in  shape  and  about  1 foot  in  diameter,  has 
a slightly  dome-shaped  cover,  and  is  painted  dark 
gray.  It  contains  12  pounds  of  TNT.  Tellermine 
No.  2 differs,  however,  in  that  its  pressure  plate  is 
fluted  and  covers  only  about  half  of  the  top  of  the 
mine ; also  the  main  igniter  is  intended  to  be  slid,  rather 
than  screwed,  into  its  socket. 


10 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


Figure  3. — Tellermine  No.  2. 


The  pull-igniter  sockets  are  in  positions  different 
from  those  in  Tellermine  No.  1.  The  side  socket  is 
4 inches  from  the  handle,  and  not  opposite  it.  The 
bottom  socket  is  2 inches  from  the  center. 

(1)  To  Arm. 

(a)  Unscrew  the  six-sided  nut,  and  push  in  the 
igniter  assembly,  together  with  its  detonator.  The 
latter  should  be  attached  to  the  bottom  of  the  igniter. 

(c)  Screw  down  the  six-sided  nut  tightly. 

(2)  To  Neutralize. 

(a)  Unscrew  the  six-sided  nut. 

(b)  Remove  the  igniter  and  detonator. 

c.  Tellermine  No.  3 (see  fig.  4) 

This  also  is  similar  to  Tellermine  No.  1,  but  has  a 
fluted  top  and  is  adapted  to  take  either  the  German 
standard  brass  igniter  or  the  igniter  assembly  of 
Tellermine  No.  2.  In  this  latter  case,  after  the  igniter 


GERMANY TELLERMINES,  “S”  MINES 


11 


assembly  has  been  inserted,  the  screw  cap  is  re- 
placed on  top.  (This  mine  has  also  been  found  with 
a screwed  ‘‘adaptor,”  instead  of  the  cap.)  The  addi- 
tional igniter  sockets  are  situated  as  in  Tellermine 
No.  1. 


Figure  4. — Tellermine  No.  3. 


d.  Tellermine  No.  4 (see  fig.  5) 

The  chief  difference  between  this  and  the  other 
Tellermine  is  that  the  cover  plate  of  the  No.  4,  which 
is  7%  inches  in  diameter  and  painted  black,  is  entirely 
separate  from  the  body.  Neither  the  cover  nor  the 
body  is  fluted.  The  additional  igniter  sockets  are 
situated  as  in  Tellermine  No.  2. 

538801° — 43 3 


12 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


The  mine  functions  when  pressure  on  the  cover  plate 
crushes  it  down  on  the  igniter,  which  is  like  that  of  the 
Tellermine  No.  2. 

(1)  To  Arm . 

(a)  Unscrew  the  cover  plate. 

(b)  Insert  the  igniter  assembly. 

(c)  Replace  the  cover  plate. 


Figure  5. — Tellermine  No.  4. 


(2)  To  Neutralize. 

(a)  Examine  the  mine  for  additional  igniters,  and 
neutralize  them. 

(b)  Unscrew"  the  pressure  plate,  and  remove  the 
igniter  assembly. 


GERMANY TELLERMINES,  “S”  MINES 


13 


e.  Comparison 

The.  pressure  plates  on  Tellermines  No.  1 and  No.  3 
extend  over  the  entire  top  of  the  mines,  but  the  pressure 
plates  on  Tellermines  No.  2 and  No.  4 cover  only  the 
center  portion  of  the  mine.  Accordingly,  a tank  might 
pass  over  the  edge  or  rim  of  Tellermines  No.  2 and 
No.  4 without  detonating  the  mines,  whereas  the  same 
load  passing  over  the  edge  or  rim  of  Tellermines  No.  1 
and  No.  3 would  detonate  the  mines.  It  is  possible  for 
a spread-out  load  of  fairly  low  intensity  covering  the 
whole  top  of  Tellermines  No.  1 and  No.  3 to  detonate 
them,  while  a heavier  and  more  concentrated  load  is 
necessary  to  detonate  Tellermines  No.  2 and  No.  4. 

2.  "S"  MINE2  (see  fig.  6) 

This  antipersonnel  mine,  widely  known  to  U.  S. 
soldiers  as  the  “bouncing  baby,”  is  cylindrical,  and 
about  5 inches  high  and  4 inches  in  diameter.  When 
it  is  fired,  it  is  projected  from  3 to  5 feet  into  the  air, 
where  it  explodes  and  scatters  approximately  350  steel 
balls  in  all  directions.  Sometimes  the  mine  is  filled 
with  small  diamond-shaped  pieces  of  steel,  instead. 

a.  To  Arm 

Unscrew  the  plugs  and  insert  three  standard  non- 
electric detonators,  open  end  downwards,  in  the  deto- 
nator tubes.  Replace  and  screw  in  the  plugs.  Remove 
the  screw  cap,  and  screw  any  of  the  three  types  of 
igniters  on  the  tube,  making  sure  that  the  safety  pins 


Schutsmine — protective  mine. 


14 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


Figure  6. — “S”  (German  antipersonnel)  Mine. 


GERMANY — TELLERMINES,  “S"  MINES  15 

are  in  place.  Finally,  after  the  mine  has  been  laid, 
remove  tlie  safety  pins. 

b.  To  Neutralize 

The  method  of  neutralizing  an  “S'”  mine  depends 
on  the  type  of  igniter  with  which  it  has  been  armed. 
The  most  common  method  of  arming  is  with  the  stand- 
ard 3-prong  pressure  igniter.  Another  method  is  that 
of  using  one  or  two  standard  pull-igniters.  When 
these  are  used,  an  adaptor  is  fitted.  A third  method 
is  that  of  using  the  3-prong  pressure  igniter  (electric). 

(1)  With  Standard  3-Prong  Pressure  Igniter. — 
Insert  a nail  into  the  safety  pin  hole,  and  unscrew  the 
igniter. 

(2)  With  Standard  Pull-igniters. — Insert  a nail 
into  the  safety  pin  hole,  and  cut  the  trip  wires.  Un- 
screw the  igniters.  Inspect  the  other  end  of  each  trip 
wire  for  other  “S”  mines  or  booby  traps. 

(3)  With  3-Prong  Pressure  Igniters  (Electric). — 
On  finding  a 3-prong  pressure  igniter  (electric)  with  a 
wire  leading  away  from  it,  trace  the  lead  until  you 
find  the  “S”  mine.  Cut  all  wires  leading  from  the 
mine.  The  Germans  often  lay  a number  of  these 
electric  igniters  within  effective  radius  of  a single  mine. 

3.  NOTES  ON  TACTICAL  USE  OF  MINES 

The  following  instructions  dealing  with  certain  as- 
pects of  the  tactical  use  of  land  mines  have  been  ex- 
tracted from  a German  Army  training  document.  The 
instructions  apply  mainly  to  German  use  of  these  de- 
vices in  retreats  and  withdrawals. 


16 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


a.  The  use  of  land  mines  may  enable  even  a weak  defending 
force  to  maintain  its  positions. 

b.  ‘‘Wild”  minelaying  may  hinder  our  own  troops;  there- 
fore, “planned”  laying  is  essential. 

c.  The  decision  to  lay  mines  is  made,  and  the  tactical  pur- 
pose of  minefields  is  decided  on,  by  divisional  or  higher  com- 
mands. Commands  of  smaller,  independent  units  may  also 
make  such  decisions  in  an  emergency.  Repair  of  damaged  mine- 
fields may  be  ordered  by  sector  commanders,  and  is  a task  for 
the  engineers. 

In  an  emergency — for  example,  in  defense  against  tank  break- 
throughs— Tellermines  (only)  may  be  laid  by  any  commander 
responsible  for  holding  a position. 

d.  Tellermines  are  primarily  for  use  against  tanks;  “S”  mines 
are  primarily  for  use  against  personnel.  “S”  mines  may  be 
negotiated  by  tanks  without  danger  to  their  crews. 

For  all  purposes — against  tanks,  motor  transport  and  other 
vehicles,  and  personnel — improvised  mines  may  be  used.  These 
are  exploded  by  pressure,  trip  wires,  or  the  cutting  of  taut  wires, 

e.  Mine  plans  will  be  drawn  up  for  every  minefield.  These 
will  clearly  show  the  types  of  mines  employed.  In  doubtful 
cases,  the  types  of  igniters  will  be  shown. 

The  careful  drawing  of  mine  plans  is  the  duty  of  the  unit 
responsible  for  laying  the  mines. 

Mine  maps  are  also  very  important.  These  are  large-scale 
maps  ( 1 : 10,000  or  1 : 25,000)  showing  the  whole  layout  of  the 
minefields.  In  addition,  for  each  minefield  or  each  instance  of 
scattered  minelaying  (such  as  the  mining  of  roads  and  paths) 
a plan  1 : 2,500  must  be  drawn  up,  giving  the  exact  position  of 
the  minefields  and  the  number  and  types  of  mines  employed,  to- 
gether with  map  references  and  distances.  Every  corner  or  gap 
must  be  pin-pointed  by  the  use  of  two  references. 

The  headquarters  responsible  for  the  laying  of  the  mines 
will  forward  mine  maps  to  its  superior  headquarters,  up  to  and 
including  Army  headquarters,  and  down  to  battalions. 


GERMANY TELLE  RMINES,  "S"  MINES  17 

Mine  plans  will  be  sent  to  the  engineer  battalion,  Army  head- 
quarters, and  Engineer  Directorate  at  the  Oberkommando  des 
He&res  (High  Command  of  the  Army).  Full  details,  in  writing, 
must  be  handed  over  to  relieving  units.  The  relieving  unit  has 
the  right  to  ask  for  a handing-over  party  to  show  the  minefield 
on  the  ground.  Arming  pins  and  safety  pins  must  also  be  held 
by  the  engineer  battalion  concerned,  and  must  be  handed  over 
similarly. 

f.  The  headquarters  responsible  for  ordering  the  laying  of 
mines  will  also  give  orders  as  to  whether  they  are  to  be  armed 
or  not,  according  to  the  situation.  In  any  case,  it  must  always 
be  possible  to  arm  a minefield  at  a moment’s  notice. 

g.  Minefields  containing  Tellermines  which  are  laid  for  long 
periods,  whether  armed  or  not,  must  always  be  fenced  if  they 
are  within  our  [German]  main  battle  position.  When  the 
minefields  are  in  our  advance  area,  they  should  be  fenced  in  a 
manner  similar  to  the  rest  of  the  wiring  in  no-man’s  land. 

It  has  been  found  useful  to  lay,  at  the  same  time,  strands  of 
ordinary  wire  connecting  with  our  own  positions.  These  strands 
serve  to  guide  our  own  patrols  when  they  crawl  forward. 

Minefields  containing  “S”  mines  must,  at  all  times,  be  fenced 
against  accidental  entry  by  our  own  troops.  Such  fences  should 
be  unobtrusive,  and  should  be  changed  frequently. 

If  “T”  mines  are  used  in  “S”  minefields,  they  should  be  laid 
on  the  edge  of  the  field  facing  the  enemy  or  on  the  flanks.  This 
hinders  the  enemy  from  neutralizing  the  minefield  by  driving 
over  it  with  his  tanks.  If  time  allows,  the  “T”  mines  may  be 
armed  against  removal  by  a pull-igniter  underneath. 

“S”  mines  laid  in  “T”  minefields  should  be  laid  in  blocks,  with 
regular  intervals  between  blocks  and  between  mines. 

Unauthorized  laying  of  “T”  and  “S”  mines  is  forbidden. 

h.  If  minefields  have  been  fired  over  or  passed  over  by  ve- 
hicles, personnel  will  experience  certain  difficulties  in  lifting  the 
mines,  and  in  such  minefields  the  following  mines  should  be 
detonated : 


18 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


(1)  Those  which  have  been  moved  from  their  original  posi- 
tions. 

(2)  Those  which  have  been  damaged. 

(3)  Those  with  mechanisms  which  resist  disarming,  even  to  a 
slight  degree. 

The  mines  in  irregularly  laid  minefields  of  any  type  will  be 
donated. 


Section  III.  TANK  HUNTING 


1.  COMBAT  PRINCIPLES 

In  all  branches  of  the  German  Army,  outstanding 
soldiers  are  chosen  to  serve  as  members  of  tank-hunt- 
ing squads.  These  squads,  each  consisting  of  a leader 
and  at  least  three  men,  are  given  special  training. 
Like  the  eombat  engineers,  they  are  continually  ready 
for  close-in  combat  with  tanks  and  other  armored 
vehicles.1  When  a need  arises,  squads  are  combined 
into  tank-hunting  groups.  In  general,  the  Germans 
use  tank  hunters  if  there  are  no  armor-piercing  weap- 
ons at  hand,  or  if  the  tire  of  these  weapons  fails  to 
prove  effective  against  attacking  tank  forces. 

The  equipment  for  close-in  tank  hunting  consists 
of  incendiary  bottles,  Tellermines,  TUT,  automatic 
weapons  (both  German  and  captured),  submachine 
guns,  Very  pistols,  hand  grenades,  smoke  grenades  and 
candles,  flame  throwers,  crowbars,  hatchets,  and  camou- 
flage material. 

It  is  a German  principle  that  hostile  tanks  and 
infantry  must  be  separated  so  that  they  may  be  de- 
stroyed more  easily.  If  armor-piercing  weapons  are 
available,  their  fire  is  directed  against  the  approaching 

'For  simplification,  this  article  will  hereafter  mention  tanks  only. 

5388(31  ° — 43 4 19 


20 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


tanks,  while  the  remaining  weapons  are  used  pri- 
marily against  the  infantry  accompanying  the  tanks. 
Infantry  riding  on  tanks  are  destroyed  before  the  tank 
hunters  attempt  to  assault  the  vehicles.  If  the  tanks 
arrive  without  infantry,  the  fire  of  all  available  weap- 
ons is  concentrated  against  the  vulnerable  parts  of  the 
tank,  to  create  conditions  favorable  for  close-in  as- 
sault. If  this  fire  support  by  other  weapons  is  im- 
possible, the  tank-hunting  squads  proceed  without  it. 

The  carrying-out  of  close-in  combat  largely  depends 
on  the  immediate  situation.  The  number,  types,  and 
tactics  of  the  attacking  tanks,  the  terrain,  the  Germans  ’ 
own  position,  and  the  effect  of  German  defensive  fire 
always  vary,  and  the  tank  hunters  attempt  to  meet 
this  variation  by  showing  adaptability  and  maneuvera- 
bility. A tank-hunting  squad  assaults  only  one  tank 
at  a time.  If  several  tanks  attack  together,  and  if 
only  one  tank-hunting  squad  is  available,  the  squad 
assaults  that  tank  which  appears  to  be  the  most 
dangerous  at  the  moment,  or  which  promises  the 
quickest  success  if  attacked.  If  enough  squads  are 
available,  the  Germans  make  an  effort — especially  in 
defense — to  hold  one  or  more  squads  ready,  in  the 
rear,  to  assault  tanks  which  break  through. 

The  general  procedure  for  tank  hunters  is:  first,  to 
blind  the  tank,  then  to  halt  it,  and  finally  to  destroy  the 
vehicle  and  its  crew  in  close-in  combat. 

Whether  the  tank  hunters  advance  at  the  beginning 
of  a tank  attack,  whether  they  remain  in  their  fox- 
holes until  just  before  the  assault,  or  whether  they 
conduct  the  entire  assault  from  under  cover  depends 


GERMANY TANK  HUNTING 


21 


entirely  on  the  situation.  The  foxholes  are  narrow, 
and  have  no  parapets;  this  makes  them  harder  to 
identify.  They  are  well  camouflaged  with  local  brush 
and,  whenever  possible,  are  surrounded  by  a belt  of 
Tellermines.  (In  village  fighting,  the  corners  of 
houses,  and  even  bushes  and  fences,  serve  as  hiding 
places  from  which  tank  hunters  make  their  close-in 
assaults.)  Obstacles  of  all  kinds,  dummy  mines  and 
guns,  and  signs  saying  “Warning!  Mines!”  are  used 
to  lead  hostile  tanks  into  terrain  unfavorable  for 
them,  but  tactically  advantageous  for  the  assault 
squads  and  antitank  weapons. 

The  tactics  employed  by  tank  hunters  of  course 
depend  to  a considerable  extent  on  whether  the  tanks 
are  moving,  or  have  halted  voluntarily  or  involuntarily. 

When  preparing  to  attack  a moving  tank,  the  tank 
hunters,  remaining  well  concealed,  permit  the  tank 
to  come  close  to  them  (20  to  7 yards).  Then,  by 
blinding  the  tank,  they  try  to  halt  it  or  at  least  slow 
it  down.  By  using  explosive  charges,  the  tank-hunting 
squad  makes  an  effort  to  destroy  the  tracks  of  the 
tank  and  cripple  it.  The  final  step  is  to  assault  the 
tank,  and  destroy  it  and  its  crew.2  In  the  case  of  a 
halted  tank,  the  squad  stalks  up  on  it,  using  the 
terrain  to  the  best  possible  advantage. 

Around  every  tank  there  is  a “dead  space”  which 
it  cannot  cover  with  its  principal  weapons.  The 
higher  a tank,  the  larger,  as  a rule,  is  its  dead 
space.  In  general,  the  radius  of  dead  space  from 


a Close-in  combat  weapons  and  how  the  Germans  use  them  in  the  “Blind, 
halt,  and  destroy”  procedure  are  discussed  in  paragraph  2 of  this  section. 


22 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


the  turret  gun  is  about  20  yards;  from  the  machine 
gun,  about  10  yards  (see  fig.  7).  To  combat  targets 


in  the  dead  space,  tanks  have  slits  through  which 
pistols  and  submachine  guns  can  be  fired.  When 
assaulting  a tank,  German  tank  hunters  make  all 
possible  use  of  the  dead  space.  They  try  to  approach 
a tank  from  the  direction  opposite  the  direction  of 
its  principal  weapons.  This  is  also  opposite  the 
direction  of  its  principal  observation  (see  fig.  8). 


GERMANY— TANK  HUNTING 


23 


The  tank  hunter  with  the  principal  close-in  weapon 
uses  it  against  the  tank  while  the  other  tank  hunters 
support  him  with  their  tire.  If'  he  is  hampered  by 
this  tire,  the  others  cease.  If  members  of  the  tank 
crew,  becoming  aware  of  the  assault,  open  the  turret 
hatch  in  order  to  defend  themselves  with  hand  gre- 
nades, the  tank  hunters  seize  this  moment  to  fire 
against  the  open  turret  and  wound  the  crew.  German 
doctrine  states  that  crews  of  stalled  or  burning  tanks 
who  do  not  surrender  when  getting  out  will  be  de- 
stroyed in  close  combat.  If  the  tanks  are  still 
undamaged,  the  Germans  render  them  useless  by 
removing  the  guns’  breech  blocks,  by  damaging  the 
guns,  and  by  setting  tire  to  the  gasoline  tanks. 

2.  TANK-HUNTING  WEAPONS  AND  THEIR  USE 

The  tank-hunting  squad  is  equipped  with  blinding, 
incendiary,  and  explosive  materials.  (Some  of  these 
serve  a double  purpose.  For  example,  flame  throwers 
are  used  not  only  as  incendiary  agents,  but  as  blind- 
ing agents.)  The  type  of  armored  vehicle,  its  position, 
and  the  terrain  determine  which  of  the  available 
weapons  are  to  be  used  and  how  the  employment  of 
several  may  be  combined.  The  leader  of  the  tank- 
hunting  squad  is  obliged  to  decide  quickly  which  to 
adopt  under  the  circumstances. 

The  following  comments  on  these  weapons  and  their 
use  have  been  extracted  from  a German  Army 
document. 


24 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


a.  Blinding  Agents 

(1)  Smoke  Candles  and  Smoke  Grenades . — Smoke  candles  or 
several  smoke  hand  grenades,  thrown  in  front  of  a tank  with 
allowance  for  wind  direction,  interfere  with  its  vision  and  force 
it  to  slow  down. 

(2)  Smoke. — Ordinary  smoke  may  be  used.  To  produce  it  at 
the  right  moment,  distribute  straw  or  other  highly  inflammable 
material  in  the  probable  avenue  of  approach,  drench  it  with  gas- 
oline or  kerosene,  and  ignite  it  with  signal  rockets  when  tanks 
approach.  The  detonation  of  grenades  and  artillery  shells  also 
creates  clouds  of  smoke.  Moreover,  the  firing  of  armor-piercing 
grenades  against  the  vision  slits  can  be  very  effective.  Smoke 
should  be  used  only  when  a tank  has  come  so  close  that  we  can 
no  longer  fire  on  it  without  endangering  our  own  personnel  and 
therefore  must  destroy  the  tank  at  close  range. 

(3)  Signal  Rockets. — Signal  rockets  shot  against  vision  slits 
have  a blinding  effect,  particularly  at  dusk  and  in  total  dark- 
ness; also,  the  vehicle  is  illuminated  for  our  antitank  weapons. 
(Note  that  signal  rockets  begin  to  burn  only  after  traveling  25 
yards.) 

(4)  Flame  Throwers  and  Incendiary  Bottles. — Flame  throwers 
and  incendiary  bottles  are  aimed  at  vision  slits. 

(5)  Covering  of  Vision  Slits. — For  this  purpose  a tank  hunter 
jumps  onto  a tank,  preferably  from  the  rear,  or  approaches  its 
side,  and  covers  the  vision  slits  or  periscopes  with  a blanket, 
overcoat,  shelter  half,  etc.,  or  applies  mud,  paint,  or  grease.  This 
is  possible  only  when  the  tank  is  moving  slowly  or  has  halted, 
and  when  it  is  not  supported  by  fire  from  accompanying  tanks 
or  infantry.  A tank  crew  will  be  especially  demoralized  by  the 
presence  of  an  enemy  on  top  of  the  tank. 

b.  Incendiary  Agents 

(1)  Flame  Throwers. — Flame  throwers  are  aimed  at  weapon 
openings  and  engine  ventilators  to  set  a tank  afire. 

(2)  Incendiary  Bottles. — Incendiary  bottles,  which  ignite  when 


GERMANY — TANK  HUNTING 


25 


they  hit  a hard  surface  and  break,  are  thrown  at  engine  venti- 
lators, vision  slits,  and  imperfectly  closed  hatches.  (In  street 
and  house  fighting,  they  are  also  used  against  personnel.)  The 
bottles  may  be  thrown  in  two  different  ways : A tank  hunter  may 
grasp  the  neck  of  the  bottle  and  throw  it  by  swinging  his  arm. 
or  he  may  grasp  the  body  of  the  bottle  and  pitch  it  as  in  shot- 
putting. In  general,  the  position  of  the  thrower  will  determine 
the  type  of  throw.  In  a prone  position  he  will  not  be  able  to 
swing  his  arm,  and  therefore  will  have  to  pitch  the  bottle.  When- 
ever possible,  it  should  be  thrown  like  a stick  hand  grenade,  be- 
cause the  accuracy  of  aim  will  be  greater  and  the  possible  range 
will  be  increased. 

(3)  Improvised  Incendiary  Bottles. — When  a tank  approaches, 
the  wick  of  an  improvised  incendiary  bottle  is  lighted  and  the 
bottle  is  thrown.  When  it  breaks,  the  fluid  is  ignited  by  the  wick 
and  is  distributed  over  the  tank  and  its  engine.  Generally  the 
tank  catches  fire.  If  additional  bottles  are  to  be  thrown  against 
the  tank,  they  need  not  be  ignited  before  they  are  thrown.  Even 
initially,  a bottle  without  an  ignition  device  can  be  used.  After 
the  bottle  has  broken  against  the  tank,  the  liquid  can  be  ignited 
with  signal  rockets,  hand  grenades,  smoke  candles,  smoke  gre- 
nades, burning  torches,  or  burning  gasoline-drenched  rags. 

(4)  Gasoline. — Several  quarts  of  gasoline  are  poured  over  the 
engine  housing  of  a tank,  and  ignited  in  the  manner  described 
above.  Gasoline  may  also  be  poured  into  the  hatch,  and  ignited 
by  a hand  grenade. 

(5)  Hand  Grenades. — Often  a tank  crew  will  open  the  hatch 
for  better  observation.  This  presents  an  opportunity  to  throw 
grenades  in  a high  arc  into  the  interior  of  the  tank.  The  crew 
can  thus  be  destroyed  and  the  tank  set  afire.  Sometimes  it  may 
be  possible  to  open  the  hatches  with  crowbars  or  bayonets,  and 
then  to  throw  grenades  into  the  interior. 

(6)  Smoke  Candles  or  Smoke  Grenades. — When  smoke  candles 
or  smoke  grenades  are  thrown  inside  a tank,  they  may  set  the 
tank  afire,  or  at  least  force  the  crew  to  get  out  because  of  the 
thick  smoke. 


26 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


(7)  Signal  Rockets. — Signal  rockets  shot  into  open  hatches 
with  a Very  pistol  may  set  the  tank  afire. 

c.  Explosives 

(1)  Hand  Grenades. — Hand  grenades  detonated  in  the  muzzle 
of  the  cannon  (see  figs.  9 and  10)  yield  excellent  results. 


GERMANY TANK  HUNTING 


27 


(2)  Blasting  Slab . — A slab  of  explosive  weighing  1 kilogram 
(2.2  pounds) , when  placed  on  top  of  a tank,  has  about  the  same 
strength  as  a concentrated  charge  of  seven  hand  grenades  and 
can  give  the  crew  a severe  shock.  Two  such  concentrated  charges 
can  damage  the  turret  hatch  considerably,  and  for  a short  time 
leave  the  crew  unable  to  fight  because  of  the  powerful  concussion. 
Two  or  three  such  charges  combined  into  a multiple  charge,  and 
tied  on  a curved  board  to  be  slid  over  the  ground  (like  a ski) , can 
damage  the  tracks  so  severely  that  they  will  soon  break  under 
use.  Machine-gun  and  cannon  barrels  can  be  destroyed  by  two 
1-kilogram  charges  tied  together,  hung  like  a saddle  over  the  top 
of  the  barrel,  and  detonated.  (A  cannon  barrel  will  be  so  bent 
that  an  attempt  to  fire  the  gun  will  completely  destroy  it.) 

(3)  Concentrated,  Charges. — The  bodies  of  seven  stick  grenades 
are  tied  together  securely  with  wire.  Only  the  middle  grenade 
is  fitted  with  the  usual  handle,  which  has  an  internal  igniter. 
This  charge  is  ineffective  against  the  armor  or  tracks  of  heavy 
tanks.  But  when  it  is  exploded  on  top  of  the  tank,  its  concus- 
sion is  so  great  that  the  crew  is  knocked  out  temporarily. 

The  concentrated  charge  of  3 kilograms,  which  is  found  ready 
for  use  in  the  infantry  engineer  platoon,  infantry  engineer 
platoon  motorized,  engineer  companies,  and  engineer  battalions, 
will  pierce  about  60  mm  of  armor.  It  is  best  to  place  the  charge 
over  the  engine  or  the  driver’s  seat.  The  crew  will  be  wounded  by 
small  fragments  of  the  inner  walls  spattering  off.  Moreover,  the 
concussion  is  unbearable. 

A combination  of  several  3-kilogram  charges  is  even  more 
effective. 

The  throwing  radius  for  a concentrated  charge  is  10  to  15 
yards.  When  throwing  the  charge,  the  soldier  must  consider  the 
length  of  the  fuze  (about  V2  inch  burns  in  1 second).  The 
thrower  aims  at  the  tracks  or  at  the  belly  of  an  approaching  tank. 

538861° — 43 5 


28 


INTBLI/IG'EN'CE  BULLETIN 


The  concentrated  charge  can  also  be  used  as  a multiple  charge 
or  as  a slide-mine  as  described  in  paragraph  (2)  above. 

(4)  Sliding  Mines. — Charges  of  3 or  6 kilograms  can  be  built 
into  a two-sided  skid.  To  secure  this  sliding  mine  against  pre- 
mature detonation,  which  can  result  from  falling  or  turning 
over,  two  woodblocks  should  be  inserted  (see  fig.  11). 


Figure  11. 


Wood  support 
blocks 


Two  to  four  sliding  mines  are  linked  together,  and  at  each  end 
of  the  group  is  a 20-yard  cable  or  rope. 

Tank  hunters  sit  in  two  foxholes  about  20  yards  apart.  The 
sliding  mines  are  camouflaged  and  are  placed  somewhere  between 
the  holes  so  that  they  can  be  pulled  in  either  direction.  When  a 
tank  approaches,  the  mines  are  pulled  under  its  tracks  (see  fig. 
12).  This  sliding-mine  technique  may  be  employed  on  a larger 


Foxhole 


Direction  of  puU 

— oooo 

Sliding  mines 


Foxhole 


Tank 


Figure  12. 

scale  by  several  pairs  of  soldiers  using  an  extended  series  of 
foxholes- 


GERMANY TANK  HUNTING 


29 


(5)  TellemmAnes. — Instead  of  concentrated  charges,  Tellermines 
can  be  used,  either  as  multiple  charges  or  as  sliding  mines  (see 
fig.  13).  However,  because  they  have  a high  radius  of  frag- 
mentation, they  can  only  be  worked  from  splinter -proof  positions, 
(Fig.  14  illustrates  the  springing  of  a turret.) 


Figure  14. 


GERMANY — TANK  HUNTING  31 

d.  Crowbars  and  Hatchets 

Crowbars  and  hatchets  are  used  to  bend  the  barrels  of  machine 
guns  (see  fig.  15). 


32  INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 

3.  ASSAULT  DECORATION 

Tank  hunters  and  other  German  Army  personnel  who  destroy 
tanks  in  close-in  combat  are  awarded  an  assault  decoration  (see 
fig.  16),  which  is  worn  on  the  upper  right  sleeve. 


Figure  16. — German  Assault  Decoration. 


Section  IV.  ENGINEER  ASSAULT  TACTICS 


1.  INTRODUCTION 

This  section  deals  with  German  engineer  assault 
tactics  developed  since  the  battle  of  Crete.  Since  the 
information  has  been  obtained  from  German  prisoners 
of  war  (engineers)  captured  in  Tunisia,  it  should  be 
accepted  with  the  reservations  customary  under  such 
circumstances. 

2.  ATTACKS  ON  PILLBOXES 

a.  Composition  of  Detachment 

An  engineer  assault,  detachment  (Pioniersturmzug) , 
whose  principal  task  is  the  assaulting  of  pillboxes,  may 
be  composed  of  any  or  all  of  the  following : 

(1)  From  two  to  six  men  with  pole  charges  or  tube 
charges.  (These  tubes  are  said  to  be  about  2 yards 
long.) 

(2)  From  one  to  three  flame-thrower  teams  of  two 
men  each.  There  is  also  said  to  be  a third  man,  who 
accompanies  them  and  serves  as  an  alternate,  if  needed. 

(3)  From  one  to  four  men  with  hollow  charges  and 
explosives. 


33 


34 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


(4)  Light  machine-gun  covering  detachments. 

The  engineer  assault  detachment  in  action  is  nor- 
mally divided  into  two  sections  (Gruppen). 

b.  Assault  Tactics 

The  assault  is  normally  preceded  by  a concentration 
of  artillery  fire.  One  purpose  of  this  fire  is  to  make 
craters  in  which  the  advancing  engineers  can  take 
cover.  When  the  assault  detachment  reaches  the  wire 
surrounding  the  enemy  pillbox,  Very  signals  are  fired, 
calling  for  all  available  artillery  fire  to  be  placed  on 
the  pillbox  and  its  immediate  surroundings. 

It  is  reported  that,  at  this  point,  a smoke  screen  is  laid 
by  two  men  of  the  detachment,  using  smoke  grenades 
(similar  to  stick  grenades),  smoke  candles,  or  smoke 
canisters.  Also,  there  are  reports  that  smoke  screens 
are  put  down  as  soon  as  the  artillery  is  compelled  to 
cease  fire  because  of  the  proximity  of  the  assault 
troops. 

Men  armed  with  wire  cutters  cut  a lane  through  the 
wire  obstacle,  hidden  by  the  smoke  screen.  As  an 
alternative  measure,  men  with  tube  charges  go  forward 
and  push  their  charges  under  the  wire.  These  tube 
charges,  which  are  similar  to  Bangalore  torpedoes,  con- 
tain 18  to  20  pounds  of  explosive.  When  the  charges 
are  in  place,  a designated  engineer  calls  out  “ Ready 
for  ignition!”  ( Fertig  zum  zunden),  whereupon  the 
commander  of  the  obstacle-blasting  party  replies  “All 
together,  ignite!”  {All  zusammen  zunden ).  The 


GERMANY ENGINEER  ASSAULT  TACTICS 


35 


engineer  then  ignites  the  fuze  and  calls  out  “Burning!” 
( Brennt ) to  warn  personnel  nearby  to  get  under  cover. 
The  explosion  of  the  tube  charge  opens  a lane  in  the 
wire.  The  engineers  nearest  the  lane  then  shout  “Gap 
here!”  (Hier  Gasse ). 

Besides  blinding  the  defenders  of  a pillbox  by  means 
of  smoke,  the  'Germans  also  fire  antitank  guns  directly 
at  the  embrasures  of  the  pillbox. 

(It  seems  highly  probable  that  the  shouting  drill  has 
been  developed  to  enable  the  engineers  to  keep  in  touch 
with  each  other  when  visibility  is  poor  or  zero,  and 
because  of  the  difficulty  of  commanding  the  whole 
operation  from  a central  command  post.) 

The  flame-throwing  detachment,  having  advanced 
with  the  remainder  of  the  assault  party  from  crater  to 
crater,  now  moves  through  the  gap  in  the  wire  and 
attempts  to  reach  a point  5 or  6 yards  from  the  pillbox. 

Now  that  artillery  fire  has  lifted  from  the  area 
around  the  pillbox,  the  task  of  keeping  the  defenders’ 
heads  down  is  taken  over  by  covering  machine  guns. 
The  flame-thrower  operators  direct  jets  of  flame  at  the 
various  embrasures  in  the  pillbox,  in  accordance  with 
orders  given  before  the  operation  began.  The  blinding 
effect  of  the  jets  enables  the  men  with  the  pole  charges 
to  advance.  When  the  flame-throwing  detachment  is 
about  to  run  out  of  fuel,  a designated  engineer  shouts 
“Last  jet!”  (Letzter  Strahl).  Each  man  who  is  carry- 
ing a pole  charge  advances  to  an  embrasure  and 
detonates  his  charge  inside  it.  Prisoners  state  that 


538861° — 43 6 


36 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


these  charges  are  effective  even  against  closed 
embrasures. 

If  the  pillbox  continues  to  hold  out,  either  of  two 
alternatives  is  possible : 

(1)  The  engineers  may  throw7  smoke  candles  into  the 
pillbox  to  drive  out  the  occupants. 

(2)  The  engineers  may  blow  in  the  roof,  using  a 
charge  weighing  about  110  pounds.  This  charge, 
which  may  be  carried  in  two  pieces,  is  fitted  with 
handles  for  easy  transport.  It  is  circular,  and  has  a 
concave  undersurface  and  convex  upper  surface.  It  is 
said  to  be  about  10  inches  thick  in  the  center,  but 
thinner  toward  the  edge.  Since  the  charge  is  con- 
structed on  the  hollow-charge  principle,  it  can  pene- 
trate normal  concrete  or  armor.  It  is  detonated  by  a 
friction  igniter. 

As  soon  as  an  important  pillbox  has  been  taken,  a 
swastika  flag  is  draped  over  it  as  warning  to  friendly 
dive  bombers.  A pillbox  in  a fortress,  for  example,  is 
considered  especially  “important.” 

3.  ATTACKS  ON  TRENCHES 

German  engineers  who  have  taken  part  in  exercises 
involving  attacks  on  trenches  state  that  they  have  used 
ordinary  assault  methods,  preceded  by  a liberal  use  of 
hand  grenades. 

For  this  purpose,  certain  men  are  trained  as  short- 
distance  throwers  ( Nahwerfer ) or  as  long-distance 
throwers  (Weitwerfer) . The  flame-throwing  detach- 
ments move  directly  behind  the  hand-grenade  throw- 


GERMAIN Y — ENGINEER  ASSAULT  TACTICS  37 

ers,  and  the  whole  party  is  covered  by  machine-gun  fire 
from  the  flanks. 

[Note. — The  Germans,  having  devised  these  tactics,  are  thoroughly  fa- 
miliar with  the  methods  of  defense  against  them,  one  of  the  most  important 
of  which  is  the  use  of  pressure  and  trip  antipersonnel  devices  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  dead  angles  of  bunkers.  Extremely  meticulous  intelligence  is  an  es- 
sential for  this  type  of  assault.] 


Section  V.  MISCELLANEOUS 


1.  INSTRUCTIONS  IN  CASE  OF  CAPTURE 

Like  tlie  troops  of  other  nations,  German  soldiers 
are  instructed  to  reveal  nothing  more  than  “name, 
rank,  and  serial  number”  in  ease  of  capture,  and  are 
reminded  that  in  accordance  with  international  law, 
any  other  information  may  (and  must)  be  refused.  In 
addition,  the  German  Army  warns  its  soldiers  to  obey 
certain  special  instructions : 

a.  If  you  believe  you  are  in  danger  of  being  captured,  de- 
stroy all  papers  that  you  have  on  your  person.  Above  all,  tear 
out  page  4 of  your  Soldbuch  (pay  book),  which  mentions 
your  unit. 

b.  If  you  are  captured,  be  strictly  military  and,  at  the  same 
time,  polite.  Don’t  be  influenced  by  friendliness  on  the  part 
of  the  enemy,  or  by  threats. 

c.  Never  speak  the  enemy’s  language. 

d.  Always  remember  that  the  most  trivial  things,  to  which  you 
attach  no  importance,  can  often  give  valuable  information  to 
the  enemy. 

e.  No  interest  in  technical  questions  is  to  be  shown,  not 
even  when  the  questioner  tries  to  provoke  an  argument  by 
belittling  German  weapons. 

f.  Don’t  try  to  deceive  by  false  answers. 

g.  Don’t  let  yourself  be  fooled  by  an  assumed  knowledge,  on 
the  questioner’s  part,  of  the  subject  under  discussion. 

38 


GERMANY — MISCELLANEOUS  39 

h.  Don’t  discuss  military  matters  or  details  of  operations 
with  your  fellow  prisoners. 

In  North  Africa  the  German  Army  regarded  the 
following  information  as  especially  valuable  to  the 
United  Nations,  and  warned  its  troops  that  they  must 
take  every  precaution  to  keep  it  secret : 

a.  The  unit  to  which  you  belong,  and  its  location. 

b.  The  effectives  of  your  unit,  and  its  losses. 

c.  The  other  units  which  belong  to  your  regiment  or  your 
division.  The  other  units  which  were  engaged  at  the  same 
time  as  yours,  and  their  effectives. 

d.  When,  and  by  what  means,  you  arrived  in  the  theater  of 
operations,  what  you  saw  on  your  way,  and  when  you  had 
your  last  leave. 

e.  What  weapons  the  German  Army  has,  whether  you  have 
seen  any  new  ones,  and  if  and  when  new  or  repaired  tanks 
may  be  expected  to  arrive. 

f.  The  morale  of  German  troops;  details  regarding  supplies 
and  materiel. 

g.  The  morale  at  home;  the  effect  of  United  Nations  bombing. 

German  soldiers  in  other  theaters  of  operation  re- 
ceive similar  warnings.  The  Germans  caution  their 
troops  not  to  believe  that  better  treatment  will  be  given 
them  if  they  consent  to  talk.  It  is  stressed  that  even 
after  a soldier  has  been  interrogated,  he  must  be  care- 
ful when  talking  to  other  comrades  in  the  camp,  be- 
cause of  the  possibility  that  a listening  apparatus 
may  have  been  installed.  Troops  are  warned,  too,  that 
strangers  in  German  uniforms  may  try  to  win  their 
confidence,  and  that  these  strangers  will  certainly  be 
spies.  Speaking  over  the  radio,  making  phonograph 
recordings,  and  writing  of  war  experiences  are  strictly 
forbidden. 


40 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


Of  special  significance  is  the  German  Army’s  threat 
of  future  punishment  if  these  orders  are  not  fully 
obeyed : 

Every  prisoner  remains  a German  soldier.  You  must  re- 
alize that  after  your  return  you  will,  if  necessary,  be  called 
upon  to  answer  for  your  behavior  during  your  time  of 
captivity. 

2.  PRISONERS*  RUSE 

According  to  a German  prisoner,  the  following  trick 
may  be  attempted  by  German  soldiers  who  are  about 
to  be  taken  prisoner.  Sometimes,  just  before  a man 
is  captured,  he  empties  his  aluminum  canteen,  slits 
it  from  base  to  neck,  places  his  automatic  pistol  in  the 
hollow  space,  and  presses  the  sides  of  the  canteen  to- 
gether again.  He  also  presses  the  sides  against  the 
weapon  to  keep  it  from  rattling.  He  then  draws  the 
canvas  cover  over  the  canteen.  The  weight  of  the  pistol 
is  approximately  equal  to  the  weight  of  a canteen  filled 
with  water. 

If  a man  who  follows  this  procedure  is  not  detected, 
he  will  be  able  to  carry  his  pistol  into  an  internment 
camp,  where  he  can  use  the  weapon  against  his  cap- 
tors, either  while  he  is  attempting  to  escape  or  in  some 
other  situation. 

3.  USE  OF  ROVING  GUNS 

The  following  extract  from  a German  Army  docu- 
ment discusses  the  tactical  use  of  roving  guns: 


GE  RMANY — M1SCE  LLANE  OUS 


41 


The  two  principal  reasons  for  using  a roving  gun  are : 

a.  To  avoid  betraying  the  location  of  the  actual  battery  posi- 
tions if  the  target  can  be  dealt  with  by  a few  guns. 

b.  To  camouflage  the  fire  of  our  own  activity  by  offering  con- 
siderable protection  against  enemy  flash-spotting  and  sound 
ranging 

In  the  first  case,  each  battery  will  site  a gun  200  to  300  yards 
to  the  flank  of  the  battery  position.  From  a gunnery  point  of 
view,  it  is  technically  desirable  to  site  the  roving  gun  well  on  the 
flank  of  the  No.  1 gun.  It  is  not  an  advantage  to  displace  it 
further  by  putting  it  forward  or  to  the  rear  of  the  actual  gun 
position,  because  fire  control  thus  becomes  more  difficult  and 
enemy  observers  can  more  easily  identify  the  explosions  of  indi- 
vidual guns.  If  the  gun  is  merely  put  200  to  300  yards  forward 
or  to  the  rear,  it  may  deceive  as  to  the  location  of  the  other  guns 
of  the  battery,  but  it  also  will  bring  the  battery  position  within 
the  100-percent  zone  of  fire 1 directed  against  the  roving  gun.  All 
ranging  and  harassing  fire  can  be  carried  out  by  these  guns.  The 
roving  guns  of  a battalion  or  even  larger  unit  may  be  concentrated 
against  important  targets. 

In  the  second  case,  the  best  camouflage  will  be  obtained  if  pro- 
vision is  made  that  all  firing  be  done  as  far  as  possible  by  concen- 
trated fire  and  by  as  many  batteries  as  possible.  Batteries  will 
lay  down  the  concentration  only  after  fire  from  the  roving  guns 
has  been  seen  or  heard.  The  roving  guns  will  fire  until  the 
batteries  have  concluded  their  concentrated  fire. 


1 That  is,  within  the  dispersion  pattern. 


Part  Two:  Italy 


Section  I.  B2,  S.  C.  G.  AT  MINE  AND 
BA  ANTIPERSONNEL  MINE 


1.  B2.  S.  C.  G.  ANTITANK  MINE  (see  fig.  17) 

a.  Characteristics 

The  B2,  S.  C.  G.,  which  is  the  principal  Italian  anti- 
tank mine,  is  a rectangular  metal  box,  3*4  feet  by  5 
inches  by  5 inches,  weighing  33  pounds  and  containing 
about  7 pounds  of  explosive.  The  box  has  an  over-all 
cover  attached  by  chains  at  each  end.  There  are  two  in- 
spection lids  (with  hinged  flaps)  in  the  cover.  The 
charge  is  placed  in  both  ends  of  the  box,  and  the  firing 
mechanism  is  in  the  middle.  The  striker  is  held  clear 
of  the  cap  by  a wire.  When  the  lid  is  pressed  down,  this 
wire  is  sheared  by  a knife  edge  on  the  underside  of  the 
lid. 

b.  To  Neutralize 

(1)  If  Lifting  by  Hand  Is  Ordered 

(a)  Search  for  booby  traps  and  neutralize  them. 

(b)  Open  both  inspection  lids  gently. 


42 


ITALY B2,  S.  C.  G.  AT  MINE  AND  B4  ANTIPERSONNEL  MINE  43 


(c)  Remove  the  cap  holder  carefully,  but  do  not 
touch  the  lever.1 


(2)  If  Pulling  Clear  Without  Searching  for  Booby 
Traps  Is  Ordered 

(a)  Pull  clear  with  50  yards  of  cable. 

(b)  If  the  mine  is  still  intact,  carry  out  (b)  and 

(c),  as  above. 

1 There  Is  a newer  model  of  the  B2,  which  has  a safety-pin  hole  between 
the  cap  holder  and  the  lever.  When  neutralizing  this  model,  insert  the 
safety  pin  or  nail  or  stout  wire  through  the  hole  before  removing  the  cap 
holder. 


44 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


2.  B4  ANTIPERSONNEL  MINE  (see  fig.  18) 

a.  Characteristics 

The  B4,  which  is  the  principal  Italian  antipersonnel 
mine,  is  a shrapnel  mine  which  scatters  scrap  metal 
when  detonated.  Since  the  mine  does  not  have  the 
“jack-in-the-box”  effect  of  the  British  and  German 
types,  it  is  generally  fixed  to  a tree  or  a post. 
However,  there  have  been  instances  in  which  B4’s 
have  been  buried  in  the  ground.  The  B4  is  fired 
by  trip  wires  or  tension  release. 

b.  To  Neutralize 

(1)  Insert  a nail  or  a stout  wire  into  the  safety- 
pin  hole  in  the  striker. 

(2)  Pull  out  the  cap  holder. 

(3)  Cut  the  tension  wire  and  trip  wires  after  check- 
ing the  other  ends  for  booby  traps. 


ITALY B2,  S.  C.  G.  AT  MINE  AND  B4  ANTIPERSONNEL  MINE  45 


Figure  18. — B4  (Italian  antipersonnel)  Mine. 


Section  II.  NOTES  ON  ATTACK 


1.  INTRODUCTION 

The  following  notes  on  attack  were  written  by  an 
Italian  commander  to  correct  what  he  termed  some 
very  bad  errors  in  elementary  tactics.  The  notes, 
addressed  to  “all  officers,”  discuss  a familiar  Italian 
weakness — failure  to  organize  a defensive  position 
after  a successful  advance. 

2.  THE  NOTES 

Attacking  units  which  have  little  or  no  opposition  frequently 
stop  after  reaching  their  objectives,  deciding  that  their  part 
of  the  action  has  been  completed.  Not  only  does  this  affect 
discipline,  but  it  neglects  the  most  elementary  defense  and 
safety  precautions,  as  the  soldiers  put  themselves  in  full  view 
of  the  enemy,  and  break  ranks  to  gaze  around  and  wander 
about  the  area.  The  results  that  could  derive  from  such  incon- 
ceivable conduct  are  evident  and  understandable.  Such  conduct 
occurs  at  the  most  critical  and  difficult  phase  of  the  action — 
when  enemy  reaction  is  to  be  expected  more  or  less  immediately, 
either  in  the  nature  of  artillery  fire  or  counterattack. 

The  regulations  for  such  cases  are  clear  and  explicit,  and 
therefore  I do  not  deem  it  necessary  to  quote  their  contents 
since  they  constitute  the  basis  of  technical  professional  training. 

46 


NOTES  ON  ATTACK  47 

However,  I wish  to  make  quite  clear  certain  tactical  necessities 
which  should  be  kept  in  mind  and  practiced. 

a.  During  Attack 

(1)  Cover  your  exposed  flank  with  the  machine-gun  platoon. 

(2)  Keep  flanking  units  within  sight,  and  coordinate  your  fire 
with  theirs. 

(3)  See  that  units  don’t  get  mixed  up. 

(4)  Overcome  the  tendency  to  close  up. 

b.  When  Objective  Has  Been  Gained 

(1)  Proceed  immediately  and  speedily  beyond  the  objective,  and 
organize  a defensive  position  (use  your  engineers). 

(2)  Maintain  the  greatest  cohesion  within  units,  keeping  under 
cover  and  out  of  sight  of  the  enemy. 

(3)  Get  your  weapons  into  firing  position. 

(4)  Re-form  the  reserves. 

(5)  Watch  the  flanks. 

c.  During  Rest  Periods 

(1)  Keep  the  unit  under  control. 

(2)  Dispose  units  in  the  positions  best  suited  for  observation 
and  fire. 

The  above  notes  reveal  clearly  the  importance  of  the  infantry 
squad  in  fighting,  and  therefore  their  application  is  the  specific 
job  of  noncommissioned  officers.  Company  and  platoon  command- 
ers will  insist  on  the  proper  execution  of  these  measures. 


Part  Three:  Japan1 


Section  I.  AMERICAN  WOUNDED  TELL 
ABOUT  JAPANESE  ON  ATTU 


1.  INTRODUCTION 

In  recent  individual  interviews,  U.  S.  soldiers 
wounded  on  Attu  described  the  lessons  they  learned  in 
combat  with  the  Japanese.  The  statements  made  by 
these  wounded  men  are  reproduced  here  with  only  a few 
changes  to  eliminate  repetition.  In  compliance  with  a 
policy  of  the  Military  Intelligence  Service,  the  names  of 
the  men  interviewed  are  omitted. 

2.  THE  INTERVIEWS 

Private  (rifleman) — The  Japanese  are  sneaky  and  treacherous. 
They  shot  and  injured  one  of  our  men,  who  then  started  making 
his  way  toward  our  lines.  The  Japanese  withheld  their  fire  until 
our  man  was  within  100  yards  of  our  troops;  then  the  Japs 
shot  him  enough  to  break  him  down  so  he  couldn’t  go  any  further. 
They  figured  that  we  would  send  several  men  out  after  him,  and 
that  they  could  kill  all  of  them.  After  waiting  some  time  for  us 
to  try  a rescue,  the  Japs  killed  the  wounded  man. 

1 In  Intelligence  Bulletin  No.  11,  page  75,  the  title  of  paragraph  4 should 
read  “Defense  Against  Aircraft.” 


48 


JAPAN ABOUT  JAPANESE  ON  ATTU 


49 


Maybe  other  soldiers  going  into  combat  zones  conld  profit  by 
the  lessons  I learned  the  hard  way.  Never  stand  up  while  digging 
a foxhole.  Lie  on  one  side  and  dig  awhile,  then  on  the  other.  If 
you  are  lying  down  when  a mortar  shell  strikes  near  you,  it 
won’t  hurt  so  much — and  you  won’t  make  a good  target  for  a Jap 
rifleman  or  machine  gunner.  I was  one  of  those  who  stood  up 
to  dig  foxholes — and  now  I’m  in  the  hospital  suffering  from  a 
concussion.  Had  I listened  to  what  was  taught  me  in  training, 
I might  still  be  out  there  helping  to  get  rid  of  those  Japs.  I was 
a good  marksman  but  not  a good  soldier — because  a good  soldier 
takes  every  advantage  offered.  I’ve  learned  my  lesson  now. 


Sergeant  (rifle  platoon) — Apparently  the  Japs  are  easily  con- 
fused. Even  when  we  pretended  to  throw  a hand  grenade,  they 
would  scatter  in  all  directions — thus  becoming  easy  targets  for 
our  riflemen.  They  were  not  equal  to  our  soldiers  in  hand-to- 
hand  combat. 

One  thing  that  impressed  me  was  the  accuracy  the  Japanese  at- 
tained with  their  grenade  discharger  . . . They  could  place 
a shell  on  a machine  gun  in  two  rounds — our  machine  gunners 
will  live  longer  if  they  change  positions  frequently. 


Private  First  Class  (machine  gunner) — The  Japs  used  the 
fog  in  a smart  manner.  When  the  fog  lifted  in  the  morning, 
they  fired  one  long  and  one  short  mortar  burst  on  our  platoon 
area  to  get  the  range.  We  did  not  move  our  positions,  so 
in  the  afternoon  the  Japs  opened  right  in  the  middle  of  us 
with  their  mortars.  The  shells  buried  themselves  in  the  soft 
ground  before  exploding,  and  were  not  as  harmful  as  they 
would  have  been  otherwise. 

My  most  lasting  impression  was  of  the  calm  and  efficient 
■ manner  in  which  our  medical  men,  unarmed,  went  into  the 
battle  zones  to  bring  out  the  wounded. 


50 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


1st  Sergeant — The  Japs  like  to  fight  in  small  groups,  and  will 
try  to  halt  a group  many  times  their  strength.  They  move 
fast,  so  you  have  to  be  ready  at  all  times  to  engage  them. 

I don’t  believe  the  Japs  are  good  marksmen.  Many  times 
when  they  picked  us  for  targets  we  got  out  of  their  field  of  fire 
by  hitting  the  ground  and  rolling  3 or  4 yards  to  the  right  or 
left  (they  would  continue  for  a few  rounds,  firing  in  a path). 

Our  equipment  and  weapons  are  better  than  those  of  the 
Japs,  and  careful  planning  and  use  of  good,  clear  minds  will 
always  beat  them.  The  Japs’  mortar  is  their  best  weapon, 
although  the  firing  methods  used  with  it  were  not  good. 

I found  that  many  of  our  men  fired  when  they  were  not 
sure  of  their  target.  This  sometimes  resulted  in  the  drawing 
of  mortar  and  machine-gun  fire  and  in  loss  of  position. 


Private  First  Class  (rifleman) — My  impression  is  that  the 
Japs  are  very  poor  shots  with  a rifle  or  machine  gun.  Watch 
out  for  their  grenade  discharger,  though.  They  really  use  it 
a lot  against  personnel.  If  our  men  keep  plenty  of  interval, 
there  won’t  be  much  danger.  Failure  in  this  respect  was  one 
of  our  faults.  Our  unit  didn’t  have  enough  room  for  the 
number  of  men  we  had  on  line  when  we  tried  to  assault 
a hill,  and  we  lost  too  many  men  to  finish  our  mission. 


Private  First  Class  (rifleman) — The  Japs  work  in  pairs,  and 
change  positions  quite  often.  They’d  even  use  our  artillery  shell 
holes  to  machine-gun  us. 

To  me,  the  Japs  are  fast,  tricky,  and  treacherous.  They 
used  camouflage  expertly,  and  were  darn  hard  to  see.  Their 
uniforms  looked  like  burlap  and  were  a yellowish  green. 


Sergeant  (squad  leader) — Our  advance  was  uninterrupted 
except  for  some  dummy  installations,  which  were  nothing 
more  than  the  top  layer  of  earth  turned  over  to  confuse  our 
aerial  photos  . . . 


JAPAN — ABOUT  JAPANESE  ON  ATTU  51 

The  night  we  arrived  at  Temnac  Bay  we  soon  found  that 
the  Japs  were  not  very  well  disciplined  about  lights  or  smoking 
at  night.  With  the  help  they  gave  us  from  their  lights,  we 
didn’t  have  to  wait  until  daylight  to  start  our  mission.  The 
few  Japs  who  weren’t  killed  that  night  in  tents  by  hand  gre- 
nades were  finished  off  the  next  morning. 


Private  (rifleman) — A marine  once  said  that  you  could  de- 
tect Japs  at  close  range  by  a peculiar  odor  [see  Intelligence 
Bulletin  No.  5,  page  37].  This  is  hard  to  explain,  but  we 
also  detected  the  odor  on  Attu  when  the  wind  blew  from  their 
direction. 

The  Jap  is  hard  to  see,  but  once  you  get  him  in  the  open 
he’s  licked.  He  surely  doesn’t  like  hand-to-hand  combat. 

Special  efforts  are  made  by  the  Japs  to  pick  off  our  men 
who  wear  insignia,  or  those  who  give  hand  signals. 

The  Japanese  guns  and  helmets  are  not  as  good  as  ours. 


Private  (rifleman) — The  greatest  mistake  we  made  was  tak- 
ing to  the  valley.  The  enemy  was  fortified  on  the  sides  of  the 
hills  where  they  could  fire  right  down  on  us.  The  important 
thing  is  to  stay  separated,  and  to  lie  as  low  as  possible.  Make 
your  rushes  fast  and  short,  and  never  lie  where  you  fall. 
Always  roll  over  two  or  more  times,  and  always  have  the  next 
landing  place  picked  out  before  you  get  up. 


Private  First  Class  (observer) — The  Japs  didn’t  seem  to  aim 
their  machine  guns;  they  just  moved  them  slowly  from  one  side 
of  our  lines  to  the  other — sometimes  they  fired  into  the  fog 
when  they  couldn’t  even  see  our  positions. 

In  my  opinion,  the  Ml  is  the  best  rifle  the  individual  soldier 
can  have;  also,  our  hand  grenades  are  much  more  effective  than 
the  Japs’. 


52 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


Corporal  (rifleman) — In  my  brief  encounter  with  the  Japa- 
nese, I found  that  their  rifle  squads  appeared  to  be  very  care- 
less in  maneuvering  (they  made  a lot  of  noise,  and  had  a tend- 
ency to  bunch  together).  Their  riflemen  were  poor  shots  and 
showed  poor  judgment. 

Private  (rifleman) — A machine  gun  got  me.  The  Jap  snipers 
are  not  so  hot. 

Our  medics  were  swell.  They  did  a job  that  is  hard  to 
describe,  and  they  worked  as  long  as  27  hours  at  a stretch. 


Private  First  Class  (machine  gunner) — I was  under  fire  four 
days.  First  of  all,  I had  to  dig  a slit  trench  to  keep  the  enemy 
from  seeing  and  shooting  at  me.  Cover  was  not  hard  to  find. 

My  impression  is  that  the  Japanese  soldier  doesn’t  have  the 
guts  the  American  men  have.  He  gives  up  very  easily  in  hand- 
to-hand  fighting. 

One  thing  to  be  careful  of  is  hidden  explosives. 


Private  (rifleman) — Most  of  our  casualties  resulted  from 
failure  to  take  cover  while  advancing.  The  Japs  are  good 
snipers,  and  are  always  around  where  you  least  expect  them. 
Watch  out  for  dummies  in  trenches.  They  fooled  us  a couple 
of  times. 


Instrument  Corporal — The  Japs  did  an  excellent  job  of  forti- 
fying and  camouflaging  their  trenches,  foxholes,  and  other  em- 
placements, and  their  sniping  was  quite  accurate. 


Private  First  Class  (BAR  man) — I learned  that  the  Japanese 
like  to  do  all  their  close  fighting  at  night,  and  keep  out  of  sight 
during  the  day.  In  my  opinion,  they  are  not  very  brave  fighters. 


JAPAN' — ABOUT  JAPANESE  ON  ATTU 


53 


Private  First  Class  (messenger) — There  is  one  thing  I want 
to  stress.  Every  soldier  should  take  good  care  of  his  entrench- 
ing tool,  because  it  saved  many  men’s  lives  on  Attu. 


Colonel  (Medical  Corps) — The  condition  of  the  wounds  upon 
arrival  at  this  station  ....  was  indicative  of  very  excellent 
first-aid  care.  There  were  very  few  infections,  even  though 
many  wounds  were  still  open.  The  use  of  sulfanilamide  or  sul- 
fathiaozle  powders  or  crystals  on  open  wounds  was  evidently 
largely  responsible  for  the  lack  of  infection.  We  feel  that  no 
prolonged  attempt  should  be  made  to  remove  bullets,  shell  frag- 
ments, or  other  foreign  bodies  in  the  immediate  combat  zone. 
Sterile  dressing  should  be  applied  and  the  patient  evacuated  to  a 
more  stable  area. 


Section  II.  NOTES  ON  HOW  JAPANESE 
ATTACK  PILLBOXES 


1.  INTRODUCTION 

The  information  in  this  section  is  based,  on  a transla- 
tion of  six  handwritten  loose  sheets  of  notes,  which 
probably  belonged,  to  a Japanese  officer  who  was  killed 
or  wounded  in  the  Buna  area  of  New  Guinea.  The 
notes  apparently  do  not  give  the  complete  Japanese 
doctrine  on  attacking  pillboxes,  although  some  phases 
are  described  in  detail. 

The  use  of  poison  gas  as  one  means  of  reducing  pill- 
boxes is  casually  mentioned  in  one  place  in  the  notes. 
This  indicates  that  at  least  some  Japanese  troops  may 
be  trained  in  certain  uses  of  poison  gas ; however,  there 
are  no  confirmed  reports  to  date  that  they  have  used  it 
against  American,  British,  or  Australian  troops. 
Numerous  reports  from  China  indicate  that  the  enemy 
has  used  poison  gas  on  some  occasions  in  the  Chinese 
theater  of  operations.  It  is  probable  that  the  notes 
presented  below  were  based,  at  least  in  part,  on 
Japanese  experience  in  the  use  of  gas  in  China. 

To  bear  the  major  burden  of  attack  against  pill- 
boxes, the  Japanese — according  to  the  notes — organize 

54 


JAPAN HOW  JAPANESE  ATTACK  PILLBOXES 


55 


a “Pillbox-attack  Butai,”  with  regular  front-line  units 
usually  assisting  the  Butai.  [The  word  butai  is  loosely 
used  to  denote  any  group  of  soldiers.] 

2.  ORGANIZATION,  AND  ATTACK  DUTIES 

The  organization  and  duties  of  various  units  or  detachments 
which  constitute  the  Pillbox-attack  Butai  are  listed  below.  (It 
is  essential  that  all  concerned  cooperate  very  closely). 

a.  Assault  Han1 — Its  principal  object  it  temporary  neutraliza- 
tion of  the  pillbox.  It  will  be  composed  of  a machine-gun  or 
an  engineer  detachment,  and,  if  needed,  a reserve  hart.  In  order 
to  take  advantage  of  the  terrain  and  to  insure  speedy  movement, 
this  han  should  have  a bare  minimum  of  personnel  (less  than 
six  men,  if  possible). 

b.  Assisting  Fire-power  Detachment — This  is  composed  prin- 
cipally of  a light  machine-gun  squad  and  a heavy  machine-gun 
squad. 

c.  Mopping- up  II an — Its  objective  is  to  mop  up  the  enemy 
completely. 

d.  Obstacle-demolition  Han — This  can  be  a machine-gun  de- 
tachment, or — depending  on  the  situation — an  engineer  detach- 
ment, or  both.  (This  han  is  necessary  if  the  Mopping-up  Han 
needs  demolition  work  done  before  it  can  complete  its  mission. 

e.  River-crossing  Construction  Han — This  will  be  a machine- 
gun  or  engineer  detachment. 

3.  WEAPONS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

Make  the  equipment  light — carry  only  a minimum  of  weapons 
and  instruments.  Machine-gun  and  engineer  units  engaged  in 
construction  will  not  carry  rifles. 

1 This  unit  normally  is  roughly  equivalent  to  our  squad ; however,  in  prac- 
tice its  strength  has  a wide  variation.  It  usually  corresponds  to  what  we 
would  term  a “detachment.” 


56 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


Carry  as  many  hand  grenades,  gas  grenades,  or  other  close- 
combat  weapons  as  possible. 

Be  equipped  for  silent  movements. 

Wear  bullet-proof  jackets  if  necessary. 

If  you  attack  at  night,  select  passwords  and  erect  appropriate 
markers.  Carry  flashlights,  ropes,  and  the  signaling  equipment 
necessary  for  liaison  with  our  own  troops. 

The  weapons  and  equipment  to  be  carried  by  each  individual 
unit  or  detachment  of  the  Pillbox-assault  Butai  are  listed 
below. 

a.  Assault  Han: 

(1)  Rifle,  bayonet,  and  shovel; 

(2)  Hand  grenades,  gas  hand  grenades,  and  smoke  candles; 

(3)  Flame  thrower  or  gas  spray;  kerosene  or  fuel  oil; 

(4)  Instrument  for  blocking  loopholes  ( a loophole-shaped  piece 
of  metal  attached  to  a rod  which  is  about  3 yards  long),  or  a 
loophole-blocking  sandbag ; 

(5)  Signaling  equipment; 

(6)  Equipment  for  demolishing  wire  entanglements; 

(7)  Materials  to  aid  in  the  crossing  of  rivers ; and 

(8)  Bullet-proof  jackets  or  shields. 

b.  Assisting  Fire-power  Detachment: 

Smoke  bombs  or  gas  bombs,  which  may  be  fired  from  accom- 
panying guns. 

c.  Mopping-up  Han 

In  addition  to  carrying  the  same  type  of  weapons  as  the  As- 
sault Han,  the  Mopping-up  Han  should  have,  if  deemed  neces- 
sary, a bangalore  torpedo,  a hand-sprinkling  poison  gas  can, 
and  a sandbag. 

[No  mention  is  made  here  of  specific  items  of  equipment  for  the  Obstacle- 
demolition  Ban  or  for  the  River-crossing  Construction  Han.] 


JAPAN — HOW  JAPANESE  ATTACK  PILLBOXES 


57 


4.  METHODS  OF  ATTACK 

a.  Assisting  Fire-power  Detachment 

From  the  line  of  general  approach,  advance  as  close  as  pos- 
sible to  the  front  of  the  pillbox — to  a point  from  which  it  is 
most  convenient  to  fire  into  the  loophole.  Get  close  enough  to 
see  the  opening  and  closing  of  the  loophole  with  the  naked  eye. 
and  wait  for  a suitable  time  to  start  firing.  (The  best  time 
for  approaching  is  at  night.) 

The  required  standard  strength  for  observing  and  neutraliz- 
ing the  loophole  is  a follows: 

When  armed  with  rifles 1 squad. 

When  armed  with  LMG 1 LMG  (1  in  reserve  if 

necessary). 

When  armed  with  Hv  MG 1 Hv  MG. 

When  armed  with  rapid-firing  1 gun. 
gun  or  Mt  gun. 

b.  Assault  Han 

This  unit  must  cooperate  closely  with  the  Assisting  Fire-power 
Detachment,  and,  with  the  aid  of  its  fire,  close  in  on  the  pillbox 
during  a lull  in  hostile  fire. 

One  method  of  approach  is  to  divide  the  han  into  small  groups 
and  close  in  on  the  pillbox  from  several  directions. 

In  any  approach,  consider  the  effects  of  enemy  flanking  fire, 
and  utilize  the  terrain  as  skillfully  as  possible.  Careful  use  of 
creeping  tactics,  when  enemy  fire  was  heavy,  has  recently  proved 
to  be  better  than  individual  rushing,  or  the  direct-advance 
method. 

We  usually  suffer  considerably  more  casualties  while  at  a halt 
than  we  do  while  advancing.  However,  we  must  not  return 
fire  received  when  we  first  halt,  unless  the  situation  is  favor- 
able. Usually  we  should  skillfully  change  our  positions  imme- 
diately after  halting,  getting  the  best  cover  available.  Then  it  is 
permissible  to  commence  firing. 


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INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


c.  Mopping-up  Han 

Wait  for  your  opportunity  near  the  Assisting  Fire-power  De- 
tachment, and  advance  immediately  after  the  Assault  Sari's 
charge  and  mop  up  the  enemy.  Cooperate  closely  with  the  As- 
sault Han  in  order  to  make  good  use  of  its  gains. 

d.  Machine-Gun  or  Engineer  Detachment 

This  detachment,  in  charging  and  mopping  up,  will  occupy 
those  places  which  are  concealed  from  enemy  flanking  fire,  such 
as  loophole  dead  spaces.  Sometimes  suitable  places  can  be  dis- 
covered in  communication  trenches  or  other  excavations*  at  the 
rear  entrance  to  the  pillbox.  It  is  comparatively  safe  to  lie  on 
top  of  a flat  pillbox,  but  not  on  one  which  has  a sloping  roof. 

Loopholes  usually  are  closed  by  use  of  loophole-closing  equip- 
ment or  sandbags.  ’When  such  items  are  not  carried,  use  a 
shovel — climb  on  top  of  the  pillbox  and  place  the  shovel  over 
the  loophole. 

Hand  grenades  or  gas  hand  grenades  are  very  useful  to 
attack  the  defenders  near  the  pillbox  openings.  Recent  experi- 
ence shows  that  the  simplest  method  of  attack  is  to  throw  hand 
grenades  into  the  ventilation  hole — however,  first  determine 
whether  the  ventilation  hole  is  covered  by  any  kind  of  netting. 

If  tactically  desirable,  you  can  prevent  the  closing  of  the 
loophole  by  throwing  hand  grenades  at  the  loophole  door. 

In  attempting  to  penetrate  the  pillbox  by  way  of  the  rear 
door,  you  must  take  the  initiative  and  not  give  the  enemy  time 
to  fire.  Also,  watch  out  for  pistol  fire.  If  you  fail  to  penetrate 
the  rear  door — after  having  used  hand  grenades  and  other 
equipment — block  it  with  sandbags  to  prevent  escape  of  the 
enemy. 

Flame  throwers,  or  rag  bundles  soaked  with  gasoline,  kerosene, 
and  so  forth,  are  quite  effective  weapons,  once  you  get  close 
enough  to  use  them. 

[At  this  point  the  Japanese  notes  mention  “methods  of  releasing  per- 
sistent or  nonpersistent  gas  before  attacking  guards.”  However,  no  details 
are  given.] 


JAPAN — HOW  JAPANESE  ATTACK  PILLBOXES 


59 


When  using  explosives,  not  less  than  20,000  grains  of  powder 
are  necessary  to  make  a gap  in  pillboxes,  the  sides  of  which  are 
a yard  or  more  thick — we  have  encountered  countless  numbers 
of  such  pillboxes  in  this  campaign  [probably  in  China].  There- 
fore, the  explosive  method  is  used  mostly  for  bursting  doors  or 
widening  loopholes  to  aid  in  the  mopping-up  activities. 

e.  Night  Attacks 

If  the  attack  is  made  at  night,  each  unit  or  detachment  of  the 
Pillbox-attack  Butai  should  penetrate  the  pillbox  area  as  silently 
as  possible.  The  commanding  officer  will  indicate  a position 
from  which  a surprise  attack  will  be  made. 

The  terrain,  enemy  situation,  and  particularly  the  degree  of 
darkness  will  determine  the  exact  method  of  attack. 

Close  liaison  must  be  maintained  at  all  times,  and  care  must 
be  taken  to  prevent  friendly  troops  from  firing  at  each  other 
by  mistake. 

f.  Assistance  by  Other  Troops 

In  addition  to  the  Pillbox-attack  Butai , the  front-line  troop 
units,  during  their  advance,  will  also  carry  out  attacks  on 
pillboxes. 

Their  object  is  not  necessarily  the  direct  capture  of  pillboxes. 
These  units  will  infiltrate  the  pillbox  area  in  order  to  capture 
the  entire  depth  of  the  enemy’s  front-line  positions. 

When  advancing  at  full  length,  it  is  necessary  to  use  leap-frog 
methods.  For  example,  the  No.  2 line  unit  will  leap-frog  the 
No.  1 unit. 

Throughout  the  day,  these  units  must  maintain  close  liaison 
with  the  fire-power  unit  in  the  neutralization  of  enemy  fire. 
Also,  the  Mopping-up  unit  must  stay  in  the  immediate  rear  of 
the  No.  1 unit  at  all  times,  in  order  to  protect  the  advancing 
front  line  from  harassing  rear  attacks. 


60  INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 

5.  DESTRUCTION  BY  BOMBARDMENT 

Even  if  the  decision  is  to  destroy  pillboxes  by  bombardment, 
it  is  still  necessary  to  organize  a Pillbox-occupation  Detachment. 
However,  in  actual  combat,  the  bombardment  method  is  seldom 
used. 

Experience  has  shown  that  in  order  to  destroy  a pillbox  90 
centimeters  (approximately  3 ft.)  or  more  thick,  it  is  necessary 
to  use  150-mm  artillery. 


Section  III.  DEFENSE  TECHNIQUES 


1.  POSITIONS 

If  possible,  the  Japanese  choose  defensive  positions 
which  are  flanked  on  one  or  both  sides  by  natural 
obstacles,  such  as  the  sea,  rivers,  creeks,  steep  hills, 
and  mountains.  In  Burma  the  positions  invariably 
included  tank  obstacles,  which  usually  were  natural 
barriers..  If  natural  obstacles  did  not  exist,  the 
Japanese  generally  utilized  the  terrain  most  easily 
converted  into  obstacles. 

In  hilly  country,  the  Japanese — like  the  Germans — 
prepare  their  main  defensive  positions  on  the  reverse 
slopes.  They  tunnel  into  the  hillsides,  and  build 
dugouts  which  afford  adequate  protection  against  field 
guns,  except  for  direct  hits.  Well-constructed  earth- 
works protect  the  Japanese  from  normal  infantry 
supporting  weapons. 

On  a steep  hill  in  New  Guinea,  the  Japanese 
arranged  defensive  positions  wThich  consisted  largely 
of  one-man  pits  and  platforms,  cut  into  the  sides 
of  the  hill.  The  pits  usually  were  about  4 feet  deep, 
about  18  inches  in  diameter,  and  situated  an  average 
of  approximately  20  feet  apart.  The  platforms  were 


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INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


approximately  14  feet  by  6 feet,  and  appeared  to  be 
sited  to  conform  with  the  general  defense  layout. 
Ammunition  strips  and  cartridge  cases  were  found  bn 
these  platforms,  which  also  were  used  for  sleeping 
purposes. 

All  the  pits  were  linked  together  with  trails,  which 
were  not  visible  from  the  air  because  the  defense  area 
was  under  heavily  branched  trees.  A fence,  4 feet 
high  and  made  of  small  logs,  extended  across  the  area. 
An  alarm  wire,  about  ankle  high,  was  strung  beyond 
the  fence.  Tin  cans  were  tied  to  the  wire  at  about 
5-foot  intervals. 

2.  WEAPONS 

In  Burma  the  Japanese  followed  the  normal  prac- 
tice of  using  machine  guns  as  the  principal  weapon 
of  defense.  Medium  machine  guns  were  sited  well 
forward.  They  generally  were  sub-allotted  to  platoon 
areas,  and  were  often  found  on  high  terrain  or  dug 
into  the  sides  of  steep  terrain.  These  weapons  often 
were  sited  singly,  and  always  were  provided  with  alter- 
nate positions. 

It  is  important  to  remember  that  Japanese  medium 
machine  guns,  on  the  defensive,  sometimes  fire  along 
a line  about  10  yards  from  the  forward  edge  of  the 
J apanese  main  line  of  resistance.  And  assaulting  sol- 
diers— if  unprotected  by  smoke  or  darkness — may  suf- 
fer heavy  casualties  immediately  in  front  of  the  enemy 
position,  particularly  if  they  become  bunched  in  con- 
verging on  the  objective. 


JAPAN — DEFENSE  TECHNIQUES 


63 


Next  to  machine  guns,  mortars  and  grenade  dis- 
chargers are  of  great  importance  to  the  Japanese  on 
defense.  Mortars  3 inches  or  more  in  caliber  may  be 
allotted  to  rifle  companies  on  a scale  of  one  per  com- 
pany, but  the  50-mm  grenade  discharger  is  more 
frequently  used  by  the  forward  units — each  platoon 
being  equipped  with  three  or  four  of  these  dischargers. 

3.  TACTICS  IN  COMBAT 

The  Japanese,  cleverly  concealed,  hold  their  fire  dur- 
ing an  attack  until  the  opposing  forces  are  close — too 
close  for  the  latter  to  receive  support  from  artillery, 
mortars,  and  medium  machine  guns.  Then  the  Japs 
cut  loose  with  a heavy  volume  of  machine-gun  fire. 
They  also  throw  showers  of  grenades,  particularly  if 
the  attackers  are  advancing  uphill. 

In  Burma  the  Japanese  launched  immediate  coun- 
terattacks against  soldiers  who  had  captured  a part 
of  an  area.  These  attacks  were  on  a small  scale,  a 
dozen  men  led  by  an  officer.  They  were  preceded  by 
a shower  of  grenade-discharger  shells.  A wild  cry,  to 
which  the  shout  “Charge!”,  in  English,  was  sometimes 
added,  gave  warning  of  the  counterattack. 

On  numerous  occasions  during  the  fighting  on  Attu, 
the  Japanese  would  withdraw — or  be  forced — from 
ridge  lines,  drop  down  the  reverse  slope  to  positions 
just  below  the  military  crest,  and  wait  for  U.  S.  sol- 
diers to  come  over  the  top.  Then  the  enemy  opened 
up  with  machine  guns,  rifles,  and  grenade  dischargers. 
Therefore,  to  capture  a ridge,  it  was  necessary  for  our 


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INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


soldiers  to  take  the  reverse  slope  to  a point  just  be- 
yond the  military  crest  as  well  as  the  ridge  itself. 
Many  of  the  Japanese  counterattacks  were  launched 
on  reverse  slopes  so  steep  that  the  enemy  had  to  crawl 
on  all  fours  to  advance.  Moreover,  in  doing  this,  the 
Japs  were  excellent  targets  for  our  forces  armed  with 
Ml  rifles  and  hand  grenades. 


Section  IV.  NOTES  ON  JAPANESE 
SECURITY  MEASURES1 


1.  INTRODUCTION 

Some  of  the  security  measures  observed  by  the  Japa- 
nese are  given  below  in  the  form  of  extracts  taken  from 
Japanese  documents.  Although  the  facts  contained  in 
these  extracts  have  not  been  changed,  they  have  been 
reorganized  and  edited  for  the  sake  of  clarity. 

These  extracts  are  presented  with  the  view  that  such 
information  will  stimulate  the  security  efforts  made  by 
our  own  troops,  in  addition  to  familiarizing  them  with 
Japanese  security  methods.  It  must  be  kept  in  mind 
throughout  that  these  extracts  are  statements  of  Japa- 
nese doctrine  and  must  not  be  confused  with  our  own. 

2.  GENERAL  SUPERVISION 

The  Japanese  state  that  the  observance  of  proper 
security  measures  and  the  maintenance  of  good  military 
discipline  are  very  closely  related.  Almost  invariably, 
troops  who  halfheartedly  observe  security  regulations 
are  poorly  disciplined  troops. 

1 See  FM  30-5  for  a discussion  of  IT.  S.  security  methods. 

65 


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INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


The  following  quotation  gives  an  indication  of  Japa- 
nese thought  about  security  duties : 

“In  case  secret  information  leaks  out,  soldiers  should 
be  trained  to  take  the  same  action  against  their  soldier 
and  civilian  friends  that  they  would  take  against 
soldiers  and  civilians  who  are  strangers.” 

Although  the  Japanese  have  security  regulations  to 
cover  all  units  and  situations,  the  documents  quoted  in 
this  section  deal  mainly  with  the  battalion.  Each  bat- 
talion has  a security  committee  which  consists  of  a 
president  (senior  Hq  company  officer),  the  battalion 
adjutant,  and  one  officer  from  each  unit. 

The  duties  of  the  committee,  as  outlined  by  the  Japa- 
nese, are  as  follows : 

The  president  controls  and  supervises  the  security  training,  and 
decides  what  action,  if  any,  will  be  taken  against  offenders.  He 
is  assisted  by  the  committee  in  gathering  materials  for  security 
instruction  and  in  fostering  a state  of  security -mindedness  among 
all  personnel.  The  president,  the  committee,  and  the  commanding 
officer  of  each  unit  utilizes  the  time  of  internal  inspections  to  con- 
duct special  security  investigations.  The  committee  holds  meet- 
ings from  time  to  time  to  study  security  matters  and  to  determine 
the  most  efficient  methods  of  putting  security  measures  into 
operation. 

All  unit  commanders  and  committee  members,  noncoms  and 
above,  are  particularly  expected  to  give  detailed  instructions  con- 
cerning means  of  carrying  our  security  measures. 

The  battalion  security  committee  will  see  that  timely  security 
bulletins  are  published  from  time  to  time  to  prevent  troops  falling 
into  a condition  we  might  call  security  “stagnancy.” 


JAPAN — JAPANESE  SECURITY  MEASURES 


67 


3.  PRECAUTIONS 

a.  In  Handling  Classified  Matter 

(1)  Distribute  only  a list  of  documents  to  units  within  the 
battalion — the  documents  not  directly  necessary  for  an  individual 
unit  will  be  held  by  battalion  headquarters  and  examined  only 
when  necessary. 

(2)  Collect  all  documents  of  no  further  value,  and  have  them 
burned  under  supervision  of  the  depot  unit’s  noncom  orderly  of 
the  week  (day). 

(3)  Tightly  seal  secret  military  documents  for  dispatching,  and 
get  a receipt  for  same  to  insure  against  loss. 

(4)  Do  not  mix  things  classified  as  secret  with  material  of  a 
lower  classification ; do  not  put  them  in  map  cases  or  similar  con- 
tainers which  could  be  dropped  and  lost.  Even  if  things  are  not 
classified  secret,  do  not  leave  them  lying  around. 

(5)  Treat  as  extremely  secret  all  documents  concerning  instruc- 
tional organizations,  plans  for  maneuvers,  and  lists  of  personnel. 

(6)  Make  only  the  number  of  copies  absolutely  necessary  [in 
preparing  secret  documents], 

(7)  Make  certain  that  the  person  so  designated  disposes  of 
classified  documents  after  their  use. 

(8)  Prohibit  persons  outside  the  unit  from  seeing,  or  even  be- 
ing aware  of,  the  presence  of  classified  documents. 

(9)  Be  cautious  in  selecting  the  custodian  of  secret  documents. 

(10)  Be  sure  that  the  security  box  for  secret  documents  is 
strong  and  has  a lock.  It  must  be  kept  under  supervision  at  all 
times. 

(11)  Guard  the  receptacle  in  which  secret  things  are  carried 
and  the  method  of  transportation,  and  see  that  the  receptacle  is 
not  opened,  dropped,  or  lost. 

b.  Regarding  Military  Personnel 

(1)  Don’t  talk  carelessly  about  military  matters  outside  the 
barracks,  even  when  among  soldiers. 


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INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


(2)  Forbid  subordinates  t o take  notes  of  secret  military  matters 
during  instruction  periods. 

(3)  Don’t  mention  secret  military  matters  in  talking  over  the 
telephone;  communicate  in  writing,  or  make  contact  personally. 
If  the  person  at  the  other  end  of  the  line  mentions  secret  matters, 
caution  him  immediately. 

(4)  Make  it  impossible  for  anyone  to  determine,  by  marks  of 
destination,  the  proper  name  of  a unit,  the  number  of  personnel, 
and  so  forth. 

(5)  Appoint  a person  in  charge  of  security  in  every  room 
[barracks]. 

(6)  Enforce  the  display  of  security  slogans,  epigrams,  and  the 
like  in  soldiers’  rooms,  canteens,  passages,  public  places,  and  so 
forth. 

(7)  Pay  particular  attention  to  security  in  the  official  bachelor 
quarters  outside  the  barracks. 

(8)  Forbid  typists  in  each  headquarters  department  to  read 
or  compare  each  other’s  notes. 

(9)  Strictly  control  rumors  and  baseless  lies.  Dispel  idle  talk 
and  uneasy  curiosity  by  promptly  informing  every  individual 
about  matters  they  are  entitled  to  know. 

c.  Regarding  Inspections  and  Censorship 

(1)  Watch  for  letters,  parcels,  and  articles  brought  into  bar- 
racks, and  enforce  their  strictest  inspection. 

(2)  Be  strictly  secret  in  censoring  personal  communications. 

(3)  Assign  a censor  for  personal  communications  at  head- 
quarters of  battalions  and  companies.  Unless  such  communica- 
tions bear  the  franking  seal  of  said  officers,  the  former  will  not 
be  accepted  at  the  post  office. 

(4)  See  that  personal  correspondence  of  persons  living  in  bar- 
racks is  written  on  post  cards.  Sealed  letters  may  be  used  only 
with  the  permission  of  unit  commanders. 

(5)  Forbid  persons  living  in  barracks  to  post  mail  outside  the 
barracks  (this  also  applies  during  field  maneuvers,  and  so  forth). 

(6)  Never  use  the  proper  name  of  your  unit  except  as  author- 


JAPAN JAPANESE  SECURITY  MEASURES  69 

ized  by  regulations.  The  common  designation  will  be  used  on  all 
ordinary  documents. 

d.  In  Dealing  with  Civilians 

(1)  Increase  security  vigilance  when  you  come  in  contact  with 
persons  outside  your  unit  (when  bivouacking  in  the  country,  and 
so  forth). 

(2)  Be  sure  that  outsiders  do  not  observe  our  organization, 
equipment,  or  the  techniques  of  combat  during  drills,  maneuvers, 
marching,. and  inspection.  Post  guards  to  prevent  the  approach 
of  outsiders. 

(3)  Keep  employed  laborers  or  coolies  from  observing  our 
military  strength  or  tactics. 

(4)  Strictly  inspect  articles  brought  in  or  taken  away  by  visi- 
tors— except  in  the  case  of  visiting  commissioned  officers. 

(5)  Warn  clerks  and  other  civilians  of  the  importance  of  vigi- 
lant security  precautions.  In  particular,  supervise  and  guide 
printing  personnel,  typists,  and  telephone  exchange  operators. 

(6)  See  that  printers  retain  no  proofs. 

(7)  Pass  the  prints  of  commemorative  photographs  through 
the  hands  of  the  responsible  person,  and  see  that  the  negatives  are 
collected. 

(8)  Take  precautions  with  civilians  connected  with  canteens, 
cooking,  construction,  newspaper  delivery,  and  photography. 

(9)  Greatly  restrict  the  movement  of  civilians  through  bar- 
racks, and  the  coming  and  going  of  groups  of  persons. 

(10)  Investigate  the  personal  history  of  merchants  having 
dealings  at  barracks  or  camps,  and  make  frequent  secret  investi- 
gations into  their  means  of  livelihood.  In  liaison  with  the  mili- 
tary and  provincial  police,  increase  these  considerations  tenfold 
where  Koreans  are  concerned.  Carefully  supervise  the  coming 
and  going  of  merchants. 

(11)  Have  business  conversations  conducted  only  by  those  in 
charge  of  such  matters.  Be  cautious  with  documents  relating  to 
business  transactions — because  information  about  organization, 


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INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


equipment,  and  number  of  personnel  can  be  deduced  from  the 
amount  and  number  of  transactions. 

(12)  Determine  the  best  time  and  place  to  make  purchases,  from 
the  standpoint  of  security. 

(13)  Supervise  newspapermen  as  follows:  Have  a definite 
entrance  and  exit;  see  that  they  do  not  talk  with  persons  other 
than  those  in  charge;  and  see  that  no  photographs  are  taken 
without  permission. 

e.  Regarding  Foreigners 

(1)  See  that  military  personnel  have  none  except  official  con- 
tacts with  foreigners.  Take  particular  precautions  with  English- 
men, Americans,  Russians,  and  “Anti-Hitlerites” — of  whom  there 
are  a large  number  despite  the  fact  that  they  are  German — in 
order  to  prevent  discovery  of  our  intentions. 

(2)  Report  with  all  speed  any  foreigners  or  suspicious  persons 
discovered  wandering  around  in  the  vicinity  of  barracks  or 
bivouac  areas. 

(3)  Exercise,  thorough  precautions  and  supervision  in  respect 
to  Christianity.  Control  the  relationships  of  Korean  Christians 
with  Englishmen  and  Americans. 

4.  EXAMPLES  OF  VIOLATIONS 

In  order  to  illustrate  some  of  the  common  violations 
of  security  regulations,  the  Japanese  have  published  a 
long  list  of  military  personnel  who  have  broken  security 
rules.  The  list  gives  the  full  name  and  the  unit  of  the 
offenders  in  each  instance,  the  nature  of  the  violation, 
the  scope  of  leakage,  and  the  measures  taken  by  security 
authorities. 

A few  examples  of  the  violations  are  given  below  to 
illustrate  some  of  the  ways  a soldier  can  imperil  his 


JAPAN JAPANESE  SECURITY  MEASURES 


71 


country  and  endanger  the  lives  of  his  comrades  hy  being- 
careless,  indifferent,  or  criminal  with  regard  to 
security. 

a.  Sergeant — wrote  in  a letter  w.  . . . at  this  time,  to  tell  the 
truth,  we  are  secretly  preparing  for  war.” 

b.  Sergeant — wrote  a military  transportation  schedule  on  the 
wall  of  a railroad  station,  where  he  was  assigned  to  duty 
in  a line-of-communication  unit,  and  frequently  left  his  post 
unguarded. 

c.  Private — “It  seems  that  pretty  soon  I shall  be  setting  out  for 
X.  Our  regiment  is  making  steady  .preparations  ....  We 
have  been  issued  battle  kits,  and  so  forth.” 

d.  Officer — wore  a combat  uniform  and  carried  a military  sword 
(wrapped  in  white  cloth),  thus  disclosing  at  a glance  that  he  was 
leaving  for  the  front.  While  attending  a banquet,  he  said : 
....  This  is  our  last  drink  with  you.” 

e.  Officer — “Now  is  the  day  for  field  units  and  replacement 
units  to  prepare  for  action.  It  is  difficult  to  measure  in  the  hearts 
of  the  people  whether  it  shall  be  peace  or  war.  This  depends  on 
the  international  situation.  I feel  sad  when  I think  of  our  lack 
of  materials  for  weapons  ....  I shall  go  to  Kantosho,  Man- 
chukuo  . . . .” 

g.  Military  laborer — “The  European  crisis  has  been  brought 
closer.  Feeling  on  the  Soviet-Manehurian  frontier  [some  time 
before  Dec.  7,  1941]  has  also  suddenly  become  worse,  and  the 
reservists  ....  are  being  posted  one  by  one  to  military 
stations  . . . .” 


Part  Four:  United  Nations 


Section  I.  HOW  BRITISH  DEAL  WITH 

ROAD  CRATERS,  OBSTACLES 


1.  INTRODUCTION 

In  the  British  Army,  troops  of  all  arms  are  in- 
structed. how  to  deal  with  road  craters  and  road 
obstacles  when  prompt  action  is  required  in  an 
emergency.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  a Brit- 
ish Army  document  on  this  subject: 

2.  CRATERS 

First,  look  for  antitank  mines,  antipersonnel  mines,  and  booby 
traps,  within  or  around  the  craters.  Then  look  for  a detour 
and  use  it  if  possible,  cutting  down  fences  and  ramping  all  low 
banks.  If  a suitable  detour  exists,  it  will  nearly  always  be  more 
advisable  to  use  it  than  to  repair  the  crater. 

If  it  is  necessary  to  fill  in  the  craters,  slightly  different  meth- 
ods will  be  used  for  dry  and  wet  craters. 

a.  Dry  Craters 

Trample  down  all  loose  earth  inside  the  crater. 

Start  filling  the  crater  with  all  the  loose  soil  available.  As 
soon  as  the  depth  has  been  sufficiently  reduced,  a tracked  vehicle 
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UNITED  NATIONS ROAD  CRATERS,  OBSTACLES 


73 


should  be.  driven  across  the  crater  to  consolidate  the  soil,  and 
this  procedure  repeated  at  intervals.  Where  brushwood  is  avail- 
able, alternate  layers  of  brushwood  and  soil  should  be  laid.  The 
brushwood  will  help  to  consolidate  the  soil,  and  at  the  same 
time  distribute  the  load.  Any  rock,  stone,  or  gravel  thrown  up 
by  the  explosion  should  be  saved,  and  used  later  in  making  the 
road  surface.. 

Continue  filling  until  the  depth  of  the  crater  has  been  reduced 
to  3 feet.  As  a rule,  any  filled-in  craters  of  this  depth  will  be 
passable  for  tracked  vehicles,  %-ton  trucks,  and  even  l^-ton 
trucks. 

If  it  is  essential  to  make  a passage  for  all  military  vehicles, 
cut  ramps  on  opposite  sides  of  the  crater,  and  shovel  the  soil 
from  these  two  cuts  into  the  crater.  If  each  ramp  is  cut  10  feet 
long,  enough  soil  will  be  made  available  to  reduce  the  depth  of 
the  average  crater  so  that  it  will  be  passable  for  all  vehicles. 

The  surfacing  of  a filled-in  crater  should  be  completed  before 
any  but  the  most  essential  vehicles  are  permitted  to  cross,  unless 
the  crater  is  completely  dry  and  likely  to  remain  so.  Otherwise, 
vehicles  crossing  over  will  churn  up  the  soil  and  soon  render 
further  crossing  impossible.  The  surfacing  should  consist  of  the 
stones  and  gravel  which  have  been  reserved  for  this  purpose  or 
of  fascines  [brushwood  bundles].  A maintenance  party  will  be 
needed  to  look  after  the  surface  until  an  engineer  repair  party 
can  take  over. 

The  following  table  may  be  used  as  a guide  to  indicate  the 
time  and  labor  required  for  crater  filling.  If  a party  of  20 
men,  equipped  with  picks,  shovels,  and  axes,  go  to  work  on  a dry 


crater  25  feet  in  diameter  and  7 feet  deep,  in  medium  soil,  they 
can  ;nake  it  passable  for 

tracked  vehicles in  30  minutes 

“4  x 4”  (all-wheel-drive)  trucks in  35  minutes 

^4 -ton  trucks in  40  minutes 

all  vehicles  except  buses in  75  minutes 

all  vehicles in  three  hours 


74  INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN' 

b.  Wet  Craters 

If  a crater  contains  water,  a modification  of  the  above  proce- 
dure will  be  necessary. 

If  rocks  and  stones  are  available,  use  them  to  fill  the  crater  up 
to  water  level.  If  there  are  no  rocks  or  stones  at  hand,  fill  the 
crater  bottom  with  earth.  Cover  this  with  two  layers  of  empty 
sandbags  to  form  a seal.  Lay  9 inches  of  brushwood,  and  then 
9 inches  of  earth.  Repeat  this  sequence  of  empty  sandbags, 
brushwood,  and  earth  until  the  depth  of  the  crater  has  been  re- 
duced to  3 feet.  Layers  should  be  laid  so  that  they  slope  up- 
ward toward  the  center  of  the  road  to  allow  for  consolidation  of 
the  center. 

After  this,  follow  the  procedure  outlined  for  filling  a dry 
crater. 

Water-filled  craters  naturally  take  slightly  longer  to  improve 
than  dry  craters. 

3.  OTHER  ROAD  OBSTACLES 

Hastily  contrived  road  obstacles — such  as  farm  wagons,  the 
wheels  of  which  have  been  removed,  or  felled  trees — will  often 
be  fairly  easy  to  destroy  or  move.  However,  it  should  be  taken 
for  granted  that  they  will  be  liberally  bobby-trapped.  There 
will  seldom  be  enough  time  to  wait  for  skilled  engineer  personnel 
to  locate  and  neutralize  these  traps.  Therefore,  the  first  troops 
to  arrive  on  the  site  will  find  it  necessary  to  set  off  the  traps  by 
using  hand  grenades  or  by  tying  ropes  to  the  obstacle  and, 
from  a safe  distance,  hauling  it  off  the  road.  It  must  also  be 
remembered  that  antitank  mines  will  probably  have  been  laid 
in  the  road  underneath  the  obstacle ; for  this  reason,  an  extremely 
careful  examination  of  the  road  surface  is  a necessity. 

Finally,  it  is  strongly  emphasized  that  if  any  possible  detour 
exists,  it  is  normally  much  quicker  to  go  around  an  obstacle  than 
to  remove  it.  It  must  be  expected  that  detours  or  obvious  turn- 
outs will  be  imaginatively  mined  and  booby-trapped. 


Section  II.  BRITISH  JUNIOR  OFFICER 

TELLS  COMBAT  EXPERIENCES 


1.  INTRODUCTION 

The  following  letter  from  a British  platoon  com- 
mander in  North  Africa  to  one  of  his  friends  in  an 
officers  school  in  England  discusses  German  and  Brit- 
ish tactics,  and  makes  a number  of  valuable  sugges- 
tions. It  is  reprinted  here  for  the  information  of 
American  junior  officers  who  may  face  similar  combat 
problems. 

2.  "TIPS  FROM  THE  FRONT" 

Dear  Tom  : 

You  asked  in  your  letter  for  a few  “tips  from  the  front.”  Here 
they  are. 

In  attack,  get  your  platoon  'going  on  location  of  fire,  observa- 
tion, and  intelligent  use  of  all  available  information.  Our  initial 
tendency  (and  it  wasn’t  altogether  the  platoon  commander’s 
fault)  was  to  rush  into  the  attack  without  a really  thorough 
reconnaissance,  and  without  going  over  with  the  noncoms  every 
bit  of  information  we  had  about  the  enemy’s  positions.  Once 
you’re  in  it,  it’s  hell’s  own  game  trying  to  see  where  the  bullets 
are  coming  from,  unless  you  have  a fair  idea  where  the  swine 
ought  to  be.  Even  then,  it’s  not  so  easy. 

We  have  lost  a lot  of  officers  through  platoon  commanders 
being  too  eager  and  moving  right  up  with  their  leading  squad. 

75 


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INTELLIGENCE  bulletin 


You  can  fight  your  platoon  a darned  sight,  better  by  staying  in 
a position  from  which  you  can  maneuver  your  reserve  (that  is, 
your  two  rear  squads)  when  you  have  seen  what  fire  is  drawn  by 
the  leading  squad.  The  same  applies  to  company  commanders, 
of  course.  Practice  lots  of  frontal  attacks.  Boche  positions  are 
so  invariably  mutually  supporting  that  platoon  flanking  attacks 
are  damned  hard,  especially  as  the  bloke  you  are  after  is  prob- 
ably supported  by  medium  machine-gun  fire  from  somewhere  out 
of  range  of  your  light  machine  gun. 

Approach  marches  are  important.  You  nearly  always  have 
several  miles  to  cover,  probably  in  the  dark,  before  you  reach 
the  place  from  which  the  attack  starts.  The  condition  in  which 
your  men  reach  that  assembly  area  is  going  to  make  a whole  lot 
of  difference  in  their  performance  when  the  big  moment  comes. 
If  the  march  has  been  a scramble,  and  if  they  are  rushed  into 
the  attack  as  soon  as  they  arrive,  morale  will  be  low.  If  the 
march  has  been  orderly,  with  plenty  of  time  to  check  up  on 
everything  and  rest  the  men  at  the  assembly  area,  they  will 
start  off  confident  and  be  much  more  likely  to  do  a good  job. 

Defense  took  rather  a back  seat  at  home — we  were  supposed 
to  be  “assault  troops” — but,  assault  troops  or  not,  most  of  your 
time  will  be  spent  in  defense,  because  whenever  you  are  not 
actually  attacking,  you  have  to  be  in  a position  to  defend  your- 
self. So  it  is  well  worth  studying.  However  huge  an  area  of 
country  you  are  given,  in  placing  your  troops  imagine  that  you 
have  only  three-quarters  of  your  platoons.  Put  your  spare  quar- 
ter aside  as  a mobile  reserve;  then  forget  all  the  books  and  put 
the  rest  wherever  your  own  common  sense  and  your  knowledge 
of  Boche  habits  tells  you.  Whenever  possible,  you  want  to  be 
on  reverse  slopes — any  movement  on  forward  slopes  brings  the 
shells  down,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  stay  still  all  day.  If  the 
ground  forces  you  to  take  up  forward  slope  positions,  keep  the 
absolute  minimum  at  battle  posts  to  observe,  and  the  rest  in 
cover  until  you  are  attacked.  It  is  then  that  your  fire  control 
comes  in.  The  first  time,  unless  you  have  been  warning  your 
men  daily,  everyone  will  blaze  off  at  any  range  at  the  first  Boche 


UNITED  NATION'S — BRITISH  COMBAT  EXPERIENCES  77 


to  appear,  giving  all  your  positions  away.  It  is  much  more 
satisfying  to  let  the  Jerries  come  up  a bit,  and  then  catch  them 
wholesale  on  some  open  stretch.  If  by  chance  they  knock  out 
one  of  your  posts  and  start  getting  in  among  you,  you  can 
thank  God  for  the  quarter  you  kept  in  reserve  and  start  your 
counterattack  straight  away.  If  you  have  got  a counterattack 
properly  rehearsed  with  supporting  fire,  and  so  on,  for  each  of 
your  posts,  you  should  be  able  to  get  it  in  almost  as  soon  as  they 
arrive,  or,  better  still,  get  them  in  a flank  as  they  advance. 

In  defense  by  night,  the  squad  sentry  should  man  the  Bren 
in  the  same  trench  with  the  squad  leader.  The  squad  leader  has 
his  Tommy  gun,  a couple  of  grenades,  and  a Very  pistol  with 
plenty  of  cartridges,  and  is  ready  for  anything.  If  a Boche 
patrol  attacks,  they  will  let  off  lashings  of  automatic  fire  at 
random,  to  draw  yours,  and  when  they  retire,  it  will  be  under 
cover  of  mortars.  The  answer  is,  stay  still  and  hold  your  fire 
until  you  can  pick  a certain  target.  At  Djebel  Abiod  we  were 
attacked  by  a patrol  some  fifteen  strong.  They  fired  literally 
thousands  of  rounds  without  causing  a casualty.  We  fired  about 
twenty  rounds,  and  killed  an  officer  and  two  enlisted  men. 
I don’t  think  it’s  worth  chasing  a retiring  patrol — they  want  you 
to  leave  your  trenches,  so  as  to  catch  you  with  their  mortars. 
Instead,  you  can  sometimes  guess  their  line,  of  retreat  and  chase 
them  with  your  own  mortar  fire. 

The  best  patrolling  troops  we  have  come  across  are  the 
Moroccan  Goums,  whose  success  as  compared  with  any  European 
unit  is  phenomenal.  Even  against  the  best  of  the  Germans,  they 
never  fail.  Why  are  they  better  than  we  are?  First,  because 
they  are  wild  hillmen  and  have  been  trained  as  warriors  from 
birth.  Second,  because  the  preparation  of  their  patrols  is  done 
with  such  detailed  thoroughness.  No  fighting  patrol  is  sent  out 
until  its  leaders  have  spent  at  least  a day  watching  the  actual 
post  they  are  after,  and  reconnoitering  exact  routes  and  so  forth. 
If  the  leaders  are  not  satisfied  at  the  end  of  the  day,  they  will 
postpone  sending  out  the  patrol,  and  will  devote  another  day  to 
the  preliminaries.  Some  of  our  men  are  a little  too  inclined  to 


78 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


think  of  a patrol  at  four  or  five  in  the  afternoon,  and  send  it 
out  that  same  night.  To  be  worth  a damn,  a fighting  patrol 
must  start  off  with  an  odds-on  chance  of  two-to-one — not  six-to- 
four  or  even  money,  but  a good  two-to-one  bet.  To  make  this 
possible,  your  information  has  got  to  be  really  good  and  up  to 
date.  As  regards  composition  of  fighting  patrols,  there  is  a 
wide  divergence  of  opinion.  In  this  battalion  we  go  on  the 
principle  of  maximum  fire  power  with  minimum  manpower,  and 
our  patrols  have  usually  consisted  of  an  officer,  a noncom,  and 
nine  men — in  other  words,  an  assault  group  consisting  of  an 
officer,  three  grenadiers,  and  three  Tommy  gunners,  and  a sup- 
port group  of  a noncom  and  three  Bren  gunners.  The  type  of 
reconnaissance  patrol  which  has  produced  the  best  result  is  the 
one  composed  of  an  officer  or  sergeant  and  two  men  who  go  out 
at  night,  remain  awake  and  observe  all  the  next  day,  and  return 
during  the  second  night. 

Slit  trenches  deserve  a paragraph  all  to  themselves.  A few 
days  after  we  landed,  we  spent  literally  a whole  day  at  Tabarka 
being  dive-bombed  and  machine-gunned  from  the  air.  This 
went  on  intermittently  all  the  following  week  at  Djebel  Abiod, 
plus  more  than  enough  shelling.  Since  then,  the  men  have  dug 
slit  trenches  automatically,  even  if  they  arrive  at  a place  soaking 
wet  at  three  in  the  morning.  Their  trenches  are  a full  5 feet 
deep,  too.  Anyone  will  tell  you  tales  of  miraculous  escapes  due 
to  slit  trenches — shells  landing  a couple  of  feet  away  without 
hurting  the  bloke  inside,  and  so  on.  I don’t  think  you  could 
ever  shell  our  battalion  out  of  a position — if  only  because  we 
know  we  are  safer  in  slit  trenches  than  out  of  them. 

Incidentally,  machine-gunning  from  the  air  is  perfectly 
bloody — worse  than  bombing  or  shelling.  The  accuracy  of  it  is 
something  I never  imagined.  An  unopposed  fighter  can 
guarantee  that  he’ll  hit  a solitary  car.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
if  you  have  dug  good  slit  trenches,  you  don’t  suffer  casualties 
from  this  type  of  attack,  and  you  find  that,  after  all,  the  noise 
was  the  worst  part  of  it. 


UNITED  NATIONS — BRITISH  COMBAT  EXPERIENCES  79 


The  Boche  does  much  more  air  reconnaissance  than  we  do. 
Every  morning  “Gert  and  Daisy”  take  a look  at  us,  and  if 
camouflage  is  bad,  I suppose  a photo  of  our  positions  goes  into 
the  album.  You  can  almost  tell  how  long  a unit  has  been  out 
here  by  looking  at  its  camouflage. 

It  is  worth  learning  something  about  antitank  mines.  There 
are  usually  plenty  to  be  had,  and  if  all  your  men  can  lay  them, 
you  are  ready  for  the  enemy’s  tanks  almost  as  soon  as  you  get 
into  a new  position.  If  you’re  lazy  and  wait  for  the  Royal 
Engineers  to  lay  them,  you  may  never  be  ready!  All  our  men 
carry  Hawkins  antitank  grenade-mines. 

Somebody  once  said,  “Warfare  consists  of  boredom  punctuated 
by  occasional  moments  of  excitement.”  This  is  absolute  rot! 
When  you’re  living  out  in  shocking  weather,  with  nothing  but  a 
gas  cape  over  your  head  and  with  thirty  men  expecting  you  to 
okay  their  letters  for  censorship,  dish  out  NAAFI  (Navy,  Army, 
and  Air  Force  Institutes)  stuff,  make  the  best  of  the  rations,  and 
get  them  gear  from  the  “Q,”  there’s  too  much  to  do  to  get  bored. 
When  you,  in  turn,  have  got  to  see  that  “they  are  always  ready 
to  fight,  that  they  are  in  good  heart,  that  they  are  clean  and 
healthy,  and  that  the  noncoms  are  doing  their  jobs,  you  may  get 
fed  up  but  never  bored.  Discipline  is  the  hardest  and  most 
important  thing  to  keep  going.  You  and  the  noncoms  spend  24 
hours  a day  with  the  men,  and  discipline  is  almost  certain  to 
slacken  if  you’re  not  on  your  guard.  I find  that  the  best  way  is 
to  keep  a strict  routine,  however  rotten  the  conditions.  That  is, 
I stipulate  a definite  timetable  for  everything  which  must  be  done 
daily.  If  you  keep  a firm  hold  on  the  men  in  these  small  day-to- 
day  things,  you’ll  find  that  you’ve  got  them  under  control  when 
the  trouble  starts. 

Finally,  remember  that  “there  are  bad  officers  but  no  bad 
troops.”  This  is  horribly  true.  We  have  often  seen  it  out  here — 
second-rate  men  fighting  magnificently  because  they  were  under 
a first-rate  officer,  and  vice  versa.  It  makes  you  realize  the  vital 
importance  of  your  job.  Motto — “It  all  depends  on  me.” 


Section  III.  DESCRIPTION  OF  BRITISH 
ANTIPERSONNEL  SWITCH 


1.  INTRODUCTION 

In  Tunisia  the  Axis  made  liberal  use  of  captured 
British  antipersonnel  switches.  This  switch  is  a device 
intended  to  he  sunk  in  footpaths  and  trails.  When 
pressure  is  put  upon  it  and  then  released,  a bullet  is 
projected  upward.  The  following  notes  on  the  weapon 
are  reproduced  from  a British  Army  training  pamphlet. 

2.  DESCRIPTION 

The  switch  (see  fig.  19)  consists  of  a hollow  metal  spike  (1) 
with  a flange  at  the  open  end.  The  spike  can  be  pressed  into  the 
ground  or  hammered  with  care  into  a road.  Inside  the  spike  is 
the  firing  assembly,  consisting  of  a metal  spindle  (2)  with  a flange 
at  the  base  and  a wire  umbrella  catch  toward  the  top.  A spring 
(3)  and  a spring  retaining  sleeve  (4)  are  threaded  over  the  spindle 
and  are  held  in  compression  by  the  umbrella  catch.  A striker 
with  a hollow  shaft  (5)  is  placed  over  the  top  of  the  spindle. 
Resting  on  the  striker  is  a rimless  cartridge  with  a bullet  (6), 
which  projects  slightly  above  the  spike. 

3.  OPERATION 

When  a man’s  foot  (or  a tire)  depresses  the  bullet,  the  striker 
moves  down  and  releases  the  umbrella  catch.  The  striker  then 


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UNITED  NATIONS BR1TISI 


6 


82 


INTELLIGENCE  BULLETIN 


drives  up  under  the  influence  of  the  spring,  striking  the  cartridge 
cap  and  firing  the  bullet,  which  goes  through  the  man’s  foot  (or 
the  tire). 

4.  ASSEMBLY  AND  TESTING 

The  switches  will  normally  be  issued  in  boxes  of  50,  with  the 
cartridges  packed  separately.  The  firing  mechanism,  which  is 
inserted  in  the  hollow  spike,  is  kept  in  position  by  means  of 
a cork. 

Should  the  mechanism  not  be  loaded,  place  the  sleeve — with  the 
rounded  end  in  contact  with  the  spring  and  the  faced  end  toward 
the  striker — over  the  spindle,  and  depress  until  the  catch  engages. 
If  difficulty  is  experienced  in  getting  the  catch  to  hold,  it  should 
be  pried  open  a little  further  with  a small  screw  driver.  The 
striker  can  then  be  placed  on  the  spindle. 

To  test  the  mechanism,  push  a pencil  down  the  spike. 

Never  use  the  oartridge  for  testing ! 

5.  CONCEALMENT 

When  the  switch  has  been  sunk  into  the  ground,  its  protruding 
point  may  be  concealed  with  a handful  of  dirt,  sand,  mud,  a few 
leaves,  or  whatever  blends  best  with  the  locality.  A shallow 
water-filled  pothole  in  a road  is  an  excellent  site,  provided  that 
the  bullet’s  nose  is  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water.  In  this  case, 
however,  the  switch  quickly  rusts  and  becomes  inoperative. 


INDEX1 

Intelligence  Bulletin,  Vol.  1,  Nos.  1-12 

GERMANY 


General: 

Attacks  on  concrete  fortifications, 
6 : 42-43. 

British  junior  officer  tells  combat 
experience  in  North  Africa, 
12 : 75-79. 

Combat  in  woods,  8 :1-14. 

Defense  of  villages,  10:36-37. 

Defensive  ruses  (North  Africa), 
8:  21. 

Delaying  tactics  (Tripolitania), 
11 : 51-53. 

Dogs,  use  of,  2 : 21-23. 

Fifth  Column,  3 : 22-26. 

German-Italian  relations,  2 : 24-25. 

The  individual  soldier,  3 : 1-11. 

Map  signs  for  obstacles,  6 : 65. 

Reaction  to  British  use  of  smoke, 
10 : 34. 

Reconnaissance  units,  3 : 12-16. 

Rommel,  Field  Marshal  Erwin — 
Biographical  note,  2 : 92. 

Static  defenses  (North  Africa), 
8 : 19-20. 

Training  methods,  1 : 36-39. 

Air  : 

Air-ground  recognition  in  desert 
warfare,  2 : 16-17. 

Dive  bombing,  2 : 11-14. 

Dornier  217E  bomber,  7 : 54-55. 

Flying  discipline,  8 : 26-28. 

Focke-Wulf— FW190,  1 : 12. 

Ground-attack  tactics,  10 : 24r-28. 


Air — Continued. 

Henschel  129  bomber,  7 : 51-54. 

Interrogation  of  prisoners, 
10 : 28-30. 

Junkers  (Ju)  88,  4:39—41. 

Parachute  troops,  1 : 13-20 ; 3 : 6-  7 ; 
9 : 46-48. 

Substratosphere  planes,  3 : 27-28. 

Tactics  against  ground  forces, 
8 : 22-26. 

Visual  signals  between  air  and 
ground  forces,  7 : 38-42. 

Winter  flying  problems,  6 : 52-62. 

Antiaircraft  : 

Antiaircraft  artillery,  use  of, 
3 : 19-20. 

Barrage  balloons,  use  of,  3 : 21. 

Defense  against  aircraft,  3 : 17-21. 

Defense  against  ground-attack 
planes,  9 : 43-45. 

88-mm  AA/AT  gun,  1 : 1-4 ; 9 : 59. 

Flak  in  the  field,  10  : 34—36. 

Searchlights,  use  of,  3 : 17-19. 

Small  arms  antiaircraft  tactics, 
4 : 81-82. 

20-mm  AA/AT  gun  against  ground 
targets,  use  of,  6 : 38-41. 

Antitank  : 

Antitank  guns,  9 : 53-55. 

Antitank  protection,  balanced, 
2 : 19-20. 

Antitank  weapons  and  their  use, 
12 : 23-31. 


1 The  numeral  to  the  left  of  the  colon  denotes  the  Bulletin  number,  and  the  numerals 
to  the  right  denote  the  page  numbers. 


84 


INDEX 


Antitank — Continued. 

Defensive  AT  methods  (Russia), 
proposed,  8 : 18-19. 

88-mm  AA/AT  gun,  1 : 1-4 ; 9 : 59. 

50-mm  antitank  gun,  6 : 31-37. 

75-mm  antitank  gun,  new 
11 : 38-41. 

75-mm  assault  artillery,  11 : 32-37. 

Tactics  as  seen  by  U.  S.  combat 
personnel,  11 : 27-31. 

Tank  hunters,  12  : 19-32. 

20-mm  AA/AT  guns  against  ground 
targets,  use  of,  6 : 38-41. 

Armored  Force  : 

Ammunition  supply  for  tanks, 
4 : 32-33. 

Armored-car  tactics,  4 : 32. 

Counterattack  tactics  (Mareth 
Front),  10:31-33. 

Destruction  of  motor  vehicles, 
8 : 40-41. 

Engaging  a British  observation 
post,  10 : 33. 

Field  patching  of  armored  per- 
sonnel carriers,  6 : 63-64. 

Flame-throwing  tank,  9 : 62-63. 

Heavy  tank,  new,  10 : 19-23. 

Mechanized  warfare,  1 : 7-10. 

Motorized  reconnaissance  units, 
3 : 14-15. 

Night  driving  equipment,  1 : 40-42. 

Notes  from  North  African  theater, 
4 : 32-33. 

Panzer  Grenadiers,  9:19-52, 
10  : 32-33. 

Pz.  Kw.  (Mark)  4 tank,  operating 
the,  4:35-38. 

Pz.  Kw.  4 (with  short  75-mm  gun ) , 
tactics  used  by,  11 : 42-47. 

Reconnaissance  by  light  tank  pla- 
toons, 9 : 31-35. 

“Secret"  weapon,  1 : 48-51. 

Smoke  against  tanks,  use  of, 
7 : 58-60. 


Armored  Force — Continued. 

Speed  of  vehicles,  2 : 24. 

Suggestions  for  drivers  in  Libya, 
4 : 28-31. 

Tactics  in  the  Middle  East, 
6 : 44-51. 

Tactics  (Russia),  recent  develop- 
ments in,  8 : 15-18. 

Tank  and  artillery  tactics,  2 : 15. 

Tank-borne  infantry,  10 : 33-34. 

Tank  guns,  9 : 55-58. 

Tank  maintenance  and  recovery, 
4 : 33 ; 8 : 34-39. 

Tank  recognition,  9 : 61-62. 

Tanks  in  spotlight,  1 : 4-7. 

Tanks,  use  of,  4 : 51-52. 

Tanks  with  infantry,  methods  of 
employing,  11 : 1-17. 

“Ten  commandments”  for  using 
tanks,  11 : 53-54. 

Transportation  and  desert  war- 
fare, 2 : 17. 

Uniforms,  3 : 6. 

Artillery  : 

75-mm  assault  artillery,  11 : 32-37. 

Tactics,  10 : 14-18. 

Tactics  (North  Africa),  recent  de- 
velopments in,  8 : 15. 

Chemical  Warfare  : 

Blister  gas,  treatment  for,  4 : 52- 
53. 

Gas  warfare,  7 : 31-37. 

Smoke,  use  of,  5 : 15-20. 

Smoke  against  tanks,  use  of,  7 : 58- 
60. 

Desert  Warfare: 

Developments  in  desert  warfare, 
2 : 15  18. 

Hints  for  soldiers  in  Libya,  4 : 24- 

31. 

Minefields  in  desert  terrain,  5 : 7- 
14. 


INDEX 


85 


Engineers  : 

Assault  tactics,  12  : 33-37. 

Attacks  on  concrete  fortifications, 
6 : 42-43. 

Booby  traps,  1 : 21-33 ; 8:21; 

10  : 1-13 ; 12  : 1-6. 

Breaking  trails  through  minefields. 
2: 16. 

Combat  engineers,  2 : 7-9. 

Defensive  ruses  (North  Africa), 
8:  21. 

Demolition  precautions,  10 : 37-38. 

Engineer  organizations,  2 : 10. 

Land  mines,  1 : 34-36 ; 5 : 7-14 ; 
10 : 1-13  ; 12  : 1-18. 

Light  assault  bridge,  7 : 56-58. 

Minefields  in  desert  terrain,  5 : 7- 
14. 

Mines  and  booby  traps,  recent 
trends  in  use  of,  10 : 1-13. 

Obstructing  airdomes,  methods  of, 
11 : 48-51. 

Static  defenses  (North  Africa), 
8 : 19-20. 

Tellermines,  “S”  mines,  and  notes 
on  their  use,  12 : 7-18. 

TJ.  S.  wounded  discuss  Axis  mines, 
booby  traps,  12 : 1-6. 

Infantry : 

Attack  methods,  2 : 2-5. 

British  junior  officer  tells  com- 
bat experiences,  12  : 75-79. 

Company  orders  ( defense ) 9 : 36- 
42. 

Counterattack  tactics  (Mareth 
Front),  10:  31-32. 

Deception,  2 : 6. 

Fieldworks,  7 : 43-46. 

Fire  fight,  the,  8 : 42-46. 

Infantry  division,  2 : 1-6. 

Reconnaissance  units,  3 : 15. 

Static  defenses  (North  Africa), 
8: 19-20. 


Infantry — Continued. 

Tactics,  5 : 1-6. 

Tank-borne  infantry,  10 : 33-34. 

Tanks  with  infantry,  methods  of 
employing,  11 : 1-17. 

Village  fighting,  5 : 5-6. 

Medical  : 

Blister  gas,  treatment  for,  4:52- 
53. 

Hints  for  soldiers  in  Libya, 4 : 24- 
27. 

Military  Intelligence  : 

German  prisoners,  intelligence 
from,  4 : 47-50. 

Instructions  in  case  of  capture, 
1 : 43-47  ; 12 : 38-40. 

Interrogation  of  British  prisoners 
of  war,  7 : 47-50. 

Interrogation  of  United  Nations 
air-force  prisoners,  10 : 28-30. 

Interrogation  procedure,  4 : 34. 

Prisoners  of  war,  4 : 42-50. 

Prisoners’  ruse,  12  : 40. 

Security  in  the  field,  5 : 28. 

Mountain  Warfare  : 

Combat  in  high  mountains,  11 : 18- 
23. 

Ordnance  : 

Antitank  and  tank  guns,  9 : 53-58. 

88-mm  AA/AT  gun,  1:1-4;  9 : 59. 

50-mm  antitank  gun,  6 : 31-37. 

50-mm  light  mortar,  5 : 21-27. 

Gun-howitzer  (standard  105-mm). 
German,  8 : 29-33. 

Heavy  antiaircraft  guns,  3 : 19-20. 

Light  antiaircraft  cannon,  3 : 20. 

Machine  gun,  new,  9 : 60-61. 

Roving  guns,  use  of,  12  : 40-41. 

75-mm  antitank  gun,  new,  11 : 38- 
41. 

75-mm  assault  artillery,  11 : 32-37. 

Tank-hunting  weapons  and  their 
use,  12 : 23-31. 


86 


INDEX 


Ordnance — Continued. 

20-mm  AA/AT  gun  against  ground 
targets,  use  of,  6 : 38-41. 
Parachute  Troops  : see  AIR. 
Quartermaster  : 

Night  driving  equipment,  1 : 40-42. 
Supply  in  desert  warfare,  2 : 18. 
Uniforms,  insignia,  and  distin- 
guishing marks,  3 : 5-11 ; 8 : 41- 
42 ; 12  : 32. 

Signal  Corps  : 

Air-ground  recognition,  2:36-17. 


General : 

German-Italian  relations,  2 : 24-25. 
Individual  soldier,  the,  4 : 54-64. 
Air: 

Torpedo  bombers,  5 : 59-61. 
Armored  Force  : 

Flame-thrower  tank,  4 : 67-68. 
Artillery  : 

Weapons  most  frequently  used, 
3 : 59-60. 

Engineers  : 

B2  antitank  mine  and  B4  antiper- 
sonnel mine,  12 : 42—15. 


Signal  Corps — Continued. 

Radio  communication  in  North 
Africa,  4 : 34. 

Visual  signals  between  air  and 
ground  forces,  7 : 38-42. 

Task  Forces  : 

“Secret”  weapon,  1 : 48-51. 
Training,  1 : 36-39. 

Winter  Warfare  : 

Combat  in  snow  and  extreme  cold, 
11 : 23-26. 

Winter  flying  problems,  6 : 52-62. 


Infantry  : 

Attack,  notes  on,  12  : 46-47. 
Flame  thrower,  4 : 65-67. 

Weapons  most  frequently  used, 
3 : 55-58. 

Ordnance  : 

81-mm  mortar,  5 : 55-58. 

Flame  throwers,  4 : 65-68. 
Weapons  most  frequently  used, 
3 : 55-60. 

Quartermaster  : 

Uniforms  and  insignia,  4 : 60-64. 
Signal  Corps  : 

Radio  transmission,  3 : 61-62. 


JAPAN 


General : 

American  wounded  tell  about  Jap- 
anese on  Attu,  12 : 48-53. 
Characteristics  of  Japanese,  2 : 27- 
35  ; 3 : 29-30,  35-36 ; 5 : 37,  42-52  ; 

6 : 9-11,  18-26,  29-30 ; 7 : 27-28 ; 
8 : 55-57 ; 9 :l-4,  27-29  ; 10  :80-82. 

Deceptions,  ruses,  and  Fifth  Col- 
umn, 1 : 59-66 ; 3 : 32,  37 ; 4 : 7-9 ; 
5 : 39 ; 7 : 26-27 ; 9 : 12 : 10  : 69-72. 
Defense,  3 : 39 ; 4:11;  6 : 13-15 : 

7 : 29-30 ; 9 : 8-11 ; 10 : 65-69, 


General — Continued. 

78-79 ; 11 : 65-67,  70-71 ; 12  : 61- 
64. 

Festivals  and  holidays,  3 : 53-54. 
General  instructions,  11 : 76. 

How  the  Japanese  treat  natives  in 
S.  W.  Pacific,  8:67-69. 

New  Guinea  fighting,  noncom  tells 
experiences  in,  11 : 59-63. 

Night  operations,  3 : 32,  38,  44-51 ; 
4 : 10-11 ; 5 : 38  ; 6:7-9;  7 : 15 ; 
9:7-8;  10:75-76. 


INDEX 


87 


General — Continued. 

Reverses  in  S.  W.  Pacific,  Japanese 
explanation  of,  8 : 70-71. 

Road-movement  abilities  of  units, 
11 : 73. 

Tactics,  general,  3 : 33-34  ; 4 : 2-13 ; 
5 : 40-41 ; 7 : 23-25 ; 10  : 65-79 ; 
11 : 59-63. 

U.  S.  warfare,  estimate  of,  5 : 29- 
36;  6:17;  7:1-4;  8:57-58. 

Ant: 

Cooperation  with  ships  and  land 
forces,  8 : 53-54. 

Fighting  in  the  Solomon  Islands, 
4 : 11-12. 

Land-air  liaison,  7 : 17-21. 

“O”  fighter,  1 : 74-76. 

Supplies  by  air,  1 : 74. 

Tactics,  1 : 70-74. 

Amphibious  Forces  : 

Instructions  to  landing  parties, 
6 : 15-16. 

Landing  operations,  1 : 59. 

Notes  on  boats  and  ships  in  am- 
phibious operations,  10 : 56-64. 

Rubber  boats,  8 : 60. 

Tactics  based  on  experiences  at 
Wake,  8:47-54. 

Antiaircraft  : 

AA  guns,  8 : 72-76. 

Defense  against  air-borne  troops, 
8:60. 

Defense  against  aircraft,  11 : 75. 

Antitank  : 

Fighting  in  the  Solomon  Islands, 
4:6-7. 

Magnetic  mines,  1 : 58. 

Obstacles,  4 : 17-18. 

Armored  Force  : 

Road-movement  abilities  of  ve- 
hicles, 11 : 74. 

Tankette  (light  tank),  4 : 22-23. 

Transportation  in  Burma,  3 : 33. 


Artillery  : 

Effect  of,  7 : 28-29. 

Offense,  10 : 77-78. 

Tactics,  2 : 39. 

Cavalry : 

Burma  Campaign,  3 : 33. 

Chemical  Warfare  : 

Bomb,  new,  1 : 69. 

Gas  mask,  new,  2 : 47-48. 

Poison  gas,  training  in  use  of, 
2 : 42 ; 12 : 54-59. 

Protection  against  gas,  3 : 52-53. 
Smoke,  use  of,  2 : 42 ; 10 : 39-55. 
Water  purifier,  1 : 68. 

Engineers  : 

Bangalore  torpedo,  10  : 83-84. 
Camouflage,  3 : 37-3S ; 4 : 9-10 ; 

11 : 67. 

Electric  obstacles,  4 : 18-19. 

Land  mines,  8 : 61. 

Magnetic  mines,  1 : 58. 

Obstacles,  4 : 15-19. 

Pillboxes,  notes  on  how  Japanese 
attack,  12  : 54-60. 

Road  blocks,  3 : 31-32 ; 4 : 15-17. 
Infantry  : 

Attack  techniques,  7 : 25-26 ; 8 : 59. 
Bivouac  defenses,  5 : 38-39. 

Burma  Campaign,  3 : 29-34. 

Close  combat,  pointers  on,  6:11- 

12. 

Defense  against  air-borne  troops, 
8:  60. 

Defense  positions  on  the  Arakan 
Front,  11 : 70-71. 

Defense  positions  on  the  Attu 
Front,  11:64-67. 

Defensive  tactics,  3 : 39. 

Defensive  techniques,  12  : 61-64. 
Deployment  tactics,  6 : 3-4. 

Flame  throwers,  8 : 62-66. 

Ground  forces,  1 : 52-69. 

Ground  forces  in  China,  2 : 41-42. 
Infiltration,  1 : 54-57  ; 3 : 38  ; 4 : 2-3. 


88 


INDEX 


Infantry — Continued. 

Patrols,  10  : 74-75. 

Pillboxes,  notes  on  how  the  Japa- 
nese attack,  12 : 54-60. 

Reconnaissance,  4 : 2. 

Shock  troops,  3 : 30. 

Sniping,  3 : 36-37 ; 4 : 3-5 ; 9 : 12. 

Tactics  in  Philippines,  2 : 37-39. 

Jungle  Warfare: 

Approach  tactics,  6 : 1-3. 

Asaulting  enemy  positions,  7 : 16. 

Combat  tactics,  6 : 4-5. 

Ground  forces,  1 : 52-69. 

Instructions  to  troops,  3 : 41^3. 

Jungle-clearing  units,  10  : 85. 

Marching  through  jungle,  6 : 6-7. 

Movement  in  jungle  country,  1 : 53  ; 
7 : 13-15. 

Night  attacks,  6 : 7-9 ; 7 : 15. 

Offense,  as  seen  by  U.  S.  observers, 
9:4-8. 

Medical  : 

Comment  by  prisoners,  6 : 29. 

Medical  care  in  the  Solomon  Is- 
lands, 4 : 13. 

Military  Intelligence  : 

American  wounded  tell  about 
Japanese  on  Attu,  12 : 48-53. 

British  prisoners,  report  by,  4 : 20- 

21. 

Comments  by  prisoners,  6 : 27- 
30. 

Conclusions  of  TJ.  S.  marines  based 
on  fighting  in  Solomons,  5 : 40- 
41. 

Intelligence  notes  from  Japanese 
documents,  10 : 79-80. 

Japanese  prisoners,  information 
obtained  from,  9 : 27-30. 

IJew  Guinea  fighting,  noncom  tells 
experiences  in,  11 : 59-63. 

Prisoners,  4 : 12-13 ; 11 : 55-58. 

Security,  6 : 16-17 ; 8 : 58-59 ; 

10  : 86  ; 12  : 65-71. 


Ordnance : 

Comment  by  prisoners  regarding 
equipment  and  supplies,  6 : 28- 
29. 

Equipment,  5 : 39-40  ; 9 : 24-26 ; 

1 : 66-69. 

Equipment  of  ground  forces,  2 : 40- 
41,  42. 

Flame  throwers,  8 : 62-66. 

Gas  mask,  new,  2 : 47-A8. 

Grenade  dischargers,  9 : 15-23. 

Rifles,  1 : 66-67. 

Rifle,  details  of  new,  7 : 5-12. 

Rifle,  service,  5 : 53-54. 

Swords,  1 : 67. 

Weapons  and  equipment  used  in 
attacks  on  pillboxes,  12 : 55-56. 

Weapons  in  Burma  Campaign,  use 
of,  3 : 30-31. 

Weapons  on  Attu  Front,  11 : 67- 
68 ; 12 : 49-52. 

Weapons  used  in  Solomon  Islands, 
4:14. 

Parachute  Troops  : 

Equipment  and  supplies,  2 : 44-45. 

Operations  at  Palembang,  2 : 45. 

Operations  on  Timor,  2 : 43-45. 

Organization,  2 : 43. 

Quartermaster  : 

Comment  by  prisoners  on  equip- 
ment and  supplies,  6 : 28-29; 
9 : 29-30. 

Equipment,  10 : 84-85. 

Equipment  and  supplies  of  para- 
chute forces,  2 : 44-45. 

Equipment  for  ground  forces, 
1:66-69  ; 2:41. 

Equipment  used  on  Attu  Front, 
11 : 68-70. 

Information  obtained  from  Japa- 
nese prisoners  regarding  equip- 
ment, 9 : 29-30. 


INDEX 


89 


Quartermaster — Continued. 

Rations,  1:77-79  ; 4:13. 

Supplies  by  air,  1 ; 74. 

Supply  on  Guadalcanal,  9 : 13-14. 

Uniforms,  5 : 51-52. 

UNITED 

General  : 

British  abbreviations,  2 ; 90-91. 

British  indoor  war  game,  5 : 81-85. 

British  junior  officer  tells  combat 
experiences,  12 : 75-79. 

British  terminology,  2 : 81-91. 

British  training  notes,  6 : 76-88, 
7 : 65-73. 

British  use  of  dogs,  5 : 66-70. 

Dust,  effect  on  men  and  equip- 
ment, 4 : 84-87. 

How  to  use  your  eyes  at  night, 
6 : 66-75. 

Life  preserver,  how  to  use  trousers 
as,  6 ; 89-91. 

Maintaining  direction,  4 : 69-78. 

Moroccan  soldier,  the,  5 : 62-65. 

Timoshenko,  Field  Marshal  Sem- 
yon— biographical  note,  2 : 93. 

Air; 

Air-force  expressions,  British  and 
American,  2 : 85. 

Antiaircraft  ; 

Light  A A (New  Zealand),  notes 
on,  10 ; 87-91. 

Physical  training  notes  for  British 
AA  units,  9 : 79-83. 

Small-arms  AA  fire,  4 : 79-83. 

Antitank  ; 

British  antitank  tactics,  notes  on, 
5 ; 78-80. 

Russian  antitank  tactics,  5 : 71-77. 

Russian  use  of  antitank  rifle, 
3 : 81-82. 

Armored  Force: 

British  nicknames  of  tanks,  7 : 77. 


Signal  Corps  : 

Communications,  4 : 5-6  ; 7 : 17-21 ; 
8:54. 


NATIONS 

Armored  Force — Continued. 

British  armored  units,  “do's"  and 
“don’ts”  for,  2 : 73-79. 

Cavalry  : 

Russian  cavalry,  night  combat  by, 
2 : 69-72. 

Desert  Warfare  : 

Maintaining  direction,  4 : 77-78. 
Some  health  rules  for  N.  Africa- 
Middle  East,  9 : 65-78. 
Engineers  : 

British  antipersonnel  switch, 
12 : 81-82. 

Camouflage,  2 : 49-68  ; 3 : C'3-80. 
Road  craters  and  obstacles,  how 
British  deal  with,  12 : 72-74. 
Wire  obstacles,  how  New  Zealand 
troops  penetrate,  6 : 92-95. 
Infantry ; 

Some  British  trends  in  combat  fir- 
ing, 11 : 84-86. 

Medical  : 

How  to  handle  wounded  in  difficult 
situations,  11 : 77-83. 

Some  health  rules  for  N.  Africa- 
Middle  East,  9 : 65-78. 

Steel  helmets  and  head  wounds, 
7 : 74-76. 

Military  Intelligence  : 

British  army  notes  on  embarka- 
tion security,  10 : 92-93. 
Security  in  the  Middle  East, 
7 : 61-64. 

Quartermaster  : 

Steel  helmets  and  head  wounds, 
7 : 74-76. 


U. S- GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  f 1943